Automatically Index a Content Inventory with GetUXIndex()

The humble content inventory is one of the most important tools in the user centered design process. A content inventory enables a user experience team to:

• recognize navigational pitfalls
• identify content gaps and redundancies
• develop a baseline for improving the content strategy

Most content inventories consist of at least three columns for each piece of content: page title, URL, and numerical index. The Index column provides a hierarchical numbering system for each piece of content.

For example, in the image below, the “Home” page has an Index number of 0.0.0.0, which means it is the root of a four-level site hierarchy.

“Mops” has an Index number of 1.1.0.0, which means it is the first child page under Products (1.0.0.0), which is the first child under Home (0.0.0.0)

When implemented correctly, the Index column helps eliminate confusion and helps streamline a variety of UX tasks, including:

• reorganizing the sitemap
• planning a migration strategy
• developing interface and functional specifications

Unfortunately, creating and maintaining a hierarchical Index by hand can be a nightmare for large websites.  The bigger the site, the harder it is to create and maintain that Index column.

GetUXIndex() to the Rescue

To alleviate the headaches of generating the Index column, I created a function in Microsoft Excel called GetUXIndex().

GetUXIndex() automatically generates a perfectly-structured Index column by comparing the indentation level of every Page Title with the indentation level of the row above it.

How to use GetUXIndex()

GetUXIndex() is a User Defined Function, which means it does not come packaged with Microsoft Excel.  To use this function, you need to download a copy of the Content_Inventory_Kit.xls spreadsheet that I created.

Once you’ve downloaded and opened the Content_Inventory_Kit.xls, you can use the GetUXIndex() function just like any other Excel function like AVG() or SUM().

GetUXIndex() takes two parameters:

• Cell ID, which is the cell reference for the Page Title cell (for example, B9)
• Levels, which determines is the number of decimal places in the Index cell (for example, 4)

To get started, open the Content_Inventory_Kit.xls spreadsheet, and follow these instructions:

1. Starting in column B, enter your indented Page Title fields into column B.
2. Starting in column A, type in =getUXIndex(B9,4) where B9 is the cell ID containing your Home Page and 4 is the number of levels you want to have in your index number.

3. Drag the formula of cell A9 down to the bottom of inventory.

4. The GetUXIndex() function will automatically create a unique index number for each row

And that’s it. You can create a fully detailed hierarchical Index for your entire content inventory in seconds. And because this is a computed field, the GetUXIndex() will update itself whenever you add, delete, or move rows in your content inventory.

If you need additional help, feel free to write to me at don@donbruns.net.