Category Archives: Findability

Visual Demonstration of Folders vs. Metadata for Classification

Of all the posts I’ve done on this blog relating to SharePoint, my article denouncing folders is by far the most popular. I later wrote about improvements to folders in 2010, and this video is a culmination of those two posts. I was asked in the comments on the former post about a visual representation explaining why using custom content types and metadata is superior then just using folders to classify content. I looked to see if anyone had done something like it already, but I surprisingly couldn’t find anything.

This video demonstrates two extremes, and I also explain the technological improvements that allow you to walk the line between then. It is still important to note, however, that folders still fall short as a classification method. SharePoint provides a great opportunity to rethink how information should and could be classified to maximize your organization’s information and assisting others in finding it. I also mention a post on documents sets by my friend Michal Pisarek that can be found on the Microsoft Get the Point blog.

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Sample MindMap for SharePoint Taxonomies

I remember the first time I was shown the MindManager tool specifically for documenting enteprise-grade taxonomies. For too long tools like Excel had ruled the day, but tools like Excel and Word are too linear and not visual enough for complex taxonomies.

Mindjet MindManager has since become my tool of choice for creating and document SharePoint information architectures/taxonomies. I have created a template for SharePoint that you can also use in your next project to get started. While it has some specific columns and has a term store section it can also be used for MOSS/WSS 3 taxonomies as well with a little editing.

The template includes the following features.

Content type nodes and hierarchy illustrated. The content type nodes also include properties such as internal name, public name, template, etc.
Every out-of-the-box column has a template node with the available custom properties to define. Also included are visual column groups.
Site structure illustration. Included are color-codes notes with properties for sites.
Term store groups. Term store groups, sets and terms are illustrated hierarchically.
Property mappings for user profile. Since SharePoint 2010 utilizes user profile properties in the term store an example node is included with the custom properties definable for a property import.
A visual icon designation for many of the nodes as well as a legend is also provided.

Here are a few images to illustrate what it looks like.

Content Types

Content Types Section

Term Store

Term Store Section

Site Structure

Site Structure Section

Here is a video giving an overview of the mindmap (although it’s a little out of date now).

Download the template

Note on Compatibility: While this will open in the Mac version some fidelity is lost. Mindjet hasn’t quite gotten down the compatibility between the two versions. This was created in version 8 for Windows but opens and works fine in version 9 (not tested in lower versions).

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SharePoint 2010 and Folders

The public beta of SharePoint 2010 is out there for all of us to try who don’t have privileged access, and so now starts the time of deciphering the impact the next version of this very important software package will have on us. One of the things that excites me the most is improvements in the ability to architect information across your entire SharePoint farm with a metadata management service application (formerly SSP), and improvements in navigation by metadata. One thing I was not expecting to improve but has is the use of folders in SharePoint.

The Controversy

SharePoint 2007 brought us great improvements to how we think about storing and viewing information. With powerful options such as extensive metadata options, content types, and countless numbers of lists and libraries there were many options available to us. The folder paradigm to storing information was still present in SharePoint mostly to ease the transition from a file share to a web-based application, and it led to a debate amongst information architects on whether folders were a best practice for storing information in SharePoint.

There were people on different sides such as Paul Culmsee who see the issue differently than myself, but the good news is that SharePoint 2010 adds functionality to alleviate some of my concerns in using folders.

Setting Metadata with Folders

One of the things I was concerned about was that folders would remove the desire to create custom content types and metadata and instead use the folder paradigm that they were used to from the file share. In SharePoint 2010 we can specify metadata for a folder (which has always been a content type), and it will be propagated to the documents contained within the folders.

Setting metadata with folders

Views Without Folders

In SharePoint 2007 was an explicit option to not include folders within a view. This seems to me to be the best balance between those who prefer a folder view to those, like myself, who prefer views that are grouped. I always disliked folders (inside or outside of SharePoint), because I felt it an impediment to optimal findability (have you ever tried to navigate someone else’s document folder?). This strikes the balance between those who like folder views and those like myself who prefer grouped views.

Folder settings for views.

Metadata Navigation

Now navigation can be modified out-of-the-box in SharePoint to allow navigation by metadata and content types. Now I don’t have to mess with the terrible tree view, but now instead I can focus on utilizing metadata to optimize the navigation experience. This adds quite a bit of versatility in constructing the user experience for your end users.

Metadata navigation in 2010

Conclusion

The SharePoint team has improved the use of folders in SharePoint 2010, and they’ve also improved the experience to not use folders if you so choose such as large list throttling so folders don’t become a necessity. I hope you get a chance to play with the next version of this exciting platform.

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Siolon

Musings on SharePoint, User Experience, and More