Information ArchitectsInformation ArchitectsInformation ArchitectsInformation ArchitectsInformation DesignInformation Design

Information Architects

• Someone who organizes material, information.

• In most cases, this is for the Web.

• Problem:– IAs typically base their work on intuition, with

limited scientific basis or systematic methodology.

Information ArchitectsSpecialize In

• User Needs and User Modeling.

• Quanitative and Qualitative Analysis.

• Business Analysis.

• User Interface Design & Evaluation.

Usability Engineers

• Someone that specializes in usability design and evaluation of products.

• Works more on the evaluation end.

Webmaster

• Someone who maintains a website.

• System Administrator.

• Problem:– Webmasters, try to do Information

Architecture and design.

User Model vs. Conceptual Model

• IA must communicate with the user.

• Prototyping

Prototyping

• Problem– Users get caught up in visual design

and interactions.– Users don’t focus on information design.

• Solution– Separate visual “look and feel” from

content.

Wire Frames

• Web pages with content only, no images.

• Place holders for images.

• Users interact with wire frames.

• Focus is on content not “look and feel”

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Wire Frames

• Graphic designers work independently of IA.

• Gives the users, Graphic designers, etc. a common framework to use.

Information Design

• Organize content according to user’s view.

• Database or relational design helps.

• Website’s organization should afford information relationships.