Information Architecture - A Primer
-
Upload
rajarajan-radhakrishnan -
Category
Technology
-
view
326 -
download
2
description
Transcript of Information Architecture - A Primer
information architectureRajarajan Radhakrishnan
• What is Information Architecture (IA)?
• History of IA
• User Needs and Info Seeking Behavior
• Building Blocks of IA
• Organization Systems
• What is Information Architecture (IA)?
• History of IA
• User Needs and Info Seeking Behavior
• Building Blocks of IA
• Organization Systems
Architecture
Design
Construction
Inhabitants
Location
Furnishings
Overall Experience
Good Experience = Good Structure(or) Architecture
I estimate that poor intranet usabilitycosts the world economy $100 Trilliondollars a year in lost productivity
- Jakob Nielson
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
3. Enter the address in GPS
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
3. Enter the address in GPS
4. Follow GPS and Road Signs
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
3. Enter the address in GPS
4. Follow GPS and Road Signs
5. Spot the location
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
3. Enter the address in GPS
4. Follow GPS and Road Signs
5. Spot the location
6. Go to Aisle and find medicine
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
3. Enter the address in GPS
4. Follow GPS and Road Signs
5. Spot the location
6. Go to Aisle and find medicine
Scenario of finding a medicine
1. Using mobile find a pharmacy nearby
2. Take the car keys
3. Enter the address in GPS
4. Follow GPS and Road Signs
5. Spot the location
6. Go to Aisle and find medicine
Cannot find address nearby…
Missed the exit and re-routing…
Cannot find the medicine in the rack…
A Database Architect makes data work for machines.An Information Architect makes information work for people.
- Jesse James Garrett
As an Information Architect I help my company by making it easy for our customers to find our products in our website (or complete their tasks on our products). I organize huge amounts of information on websites and intranets so people can find what they are looking for.
Why IA?
1. Cost of Finding Information
2. Cost of not finding information
3. Cost of construction
4. Cost of training
5. Brand Value
• What is Information Architecture (IA)?
• History of IA
• User Needs and Info Seeking Behavior
• Building Blocks of IA
• Organization Systems
In 660 BC an Assyrian king organized his clay tablets by subject
Alexandria Library housed 120 scroll bibliography
330 B.C.
1873 – Melvil Dewey conceived the Dewey Decimal System to organize
books
• What is Information Architecture (IA)?
• History of IA
• User Needs and Info Seeking Behavior
• Building Blocks of IA
• Organization Systems
User Needs
Roger Thompson retired 3 years ago at age 62, after working for 35 years in the Underwriting department of Acme Insurance. At 65 years old, Roger is extremely active. He golfs twice a week in the summer and swims laps three times a week in the winter. He is proud of his garden and spends an hour or two each day maintaining his lawn and flower beds. Roger is also an avid fisherman.
User Needs
Kim Lee is a freshman at Midwestern College, a small liberal arts college with an undergraduate population of 3,000 students. Kim is planning to major in journalism, and will carry 14 credits during her first semester at Midwestern. He was the co-editor of the student newspaper at her high school, and he is hoping to work on The Chronicle, the student newspaper at Midwestern College..
Information Needs
1. Perfect Catch : Specific answerEg., What is the population of San Francisco?
2. Lobster Trapping : More than 1 answerEg., Good hotels for under $55 /night
3. Indiscriminate DriftnettingEg., Learning about a chronic medical condition
4. Re-finding : Tag it so you don’t lose itEg., Nice UX article. Toss it into delicious.com (bookmarking)
Information Needs
Information Seeking Behavior
1. Searching
2. Browsing
3. Asking
Information Seeking Behavior
START
IntranetPortal
Browse the OrganizationSystem
Admin
Marketing
Human Resources
IT
Corporate
Browse the HR Page
…
Expense Report
Policies & Procedures
IT
…
Ask for Help
John Smith
• What is Information Architecture (IA)?
• History of IA
• User Needs and Info Seeking Behavior
• Building Blocks of IA
• Organization Systems
Business goals, funding, politics, culture, technology, resources and
constraints
Audience, tasks, needs, informationseeking behavior, experience
Document/data types, content objects, volume, existing structure
Three Circles of Information Architecture
IA
Organization Systems
Search Systems Labeling Systems
Navigation Systems
Controlled Vocabularies
2
3
1
4
NavigationSystem
Search System
OrganizationSystem
Labeling System
1NavigationSystem
Where am I?
I know what I am looking for. How doI search for it?
How do I get around here?
What’s happening here?
What can I do here?(Try a trial version)
Why should I use this product?(Learn from other customers)
?
Example of Poor IA
A good Information Architecture …
1. Tells you, where you are.
2. Helps you to move to closely related topics/content
3. Helps you browse topics
4. Allows you to manipulate content for better browsing
5. Directs you to basic services (contact, login/logout)
6. Makes it easy to complete your primary goal/task
• What is Information Architecture (IA)?
• History of IA
• User Needs and Info Seeking Behavior
• Building Blocks of IA
• Organization Systems
The beginning of all understanding is classification
- Hayden White
Gould’s Book Arcade
- No classification- Facilitates random browsing only
Organized Library
Organization Schemes
Exact Org Schemes
1. Alphabetical
2. Chronological
3. Geographical
Ambiguous Org Schemes
1. Subject or Topic
2. Task Oriented
3. Audience Oriented
4. Metaphor
5. Hybrid
Exact Org Schemes
1. Alphabetical
2. Chronological
3. Geographical
Organization Schemes
Exact Org Schemes
1. Alphabetical
2. Chronological
3. Geographical
Organization Schemes
Exact Org Schemes
1. Alphabetical
2. Chronological
3. Geographical
Organization Schemes
Organization Schemes
Ambiguous Org Schemes
1. Subject or Topic
2. Task Oriented
3. Audience Oriented
4. Metaphor
5. Hybrid
Organization Schemes
Ambiguous Org Schemes
1. Subject or Topic
2. Task Oriented
3. Audience Oriented
4. Metaphor
5. Hybrid
Organization Schemes
Ambiguous Org Schemes
1. Subject or Topic
2. Task Oriented
3. Audience Oriented
4. Metaphor
5. Hybrid
Organization Schemes
Ambiguous Org Schemes
1. Subject or Topic
2. Task Oriented
3. Audience Oriented
4. Metaphor
5. Hybrid
Organization Schemes
Ambiguous Org Schemes
1. Subject or Topic
2. Task Oriented
3. Audience Oriented
4. Metaphor
5. Hybrid