Post on 19-Dec-2015
Agenda
Information Architecture / Navigation What Does the User Want? How to Organize Information Best Practices
User Attributes
Impatient Don’t think in organizational charts Come to your site for different reasons at
different times
Organizing Your Information
1. Define key stakeholders’ goal.
2. Identify users’ goals and expectations
3. Define content areas
4. Organize content
5. Create site map / outline navigation
6. Label content areas
1. Define Key Stakeholders
Identify primary audience– Be specific, new students, international,
parents, community leaders What are audience expectations?
– Ex.: gathering feedback, reducing phone calls, increasing applications
List functional requirements– Self-serve options, events calendar, forms
2. Identify Goals & Expectations
Ultimate goal: Anticipates visitor’s needs and expectations.
Labels: Use terminology the visitor understands.
3. Define content areas
2 questions that a user would ask. Pass to the right, add 2 more questions Evaluate and group questions and re-word
into 1 to 3 word content area headings.
4. Organize Content
Group similar content Keep groups to a minimum.
– 7 is the magic number Remove duplicates
6. Label Content Areas
Use meaningful titles – ones that the user understands.
Organize list – Alphabetical?– By need?– Chronological?
Guiding Principles
General info on introductory pages Details on lower pages Sibling links equal importance Know what’s already developed on other
sites
Writing for the Web
Users like consistency Users prefer “clear” opposed to “clever” Users expect content when they click on a
link.
Writing for the Web
Use common nomenclature Frontload important details Concise labeling Avoid crowding the page Short paragraphs and sentences Use bullets, hyperlinks, subheadings
Writing for the WebFive W’s up front:
(Who, What, Where, When, Why)
Interesting facts & colourful stories in the body
Least important information down
here