info architecture
TRANSCRIPT
Information architectureOrganizing and categorizing website content
5 Basic steps1. Content inventory
2. Establishing a hierarchical outline
3. Chunking
4. Drawing diagrams
5. Analysis through testing
Content inventory
• Detailed listing of all content in the site• Major database for all the pages• Usually tabulated in spreadsheets
The Content inventory sheet
1. Unique ID number
2. Page title
3. Page template or type
4. URL
5. General type of content
6. Person responsible for content
7. Keep/revise/discard decisions
8. Create content?
9. Review statusFrom the Web Style Guide 3rd Ed. (2009)
Hierarchical outline
• Ranking the importance of each piece of information
• From broad overviews to specific submenus
• Taxonomy: use of descriptive terms• Controlled vocabulary
Five hat tricksto organize information
1. Category
2. Time
3. Location
4. Alphabetic
5. Continuum
From Information Anxiety (1989): Wurman, R.
Other strategies
• Brainstorming• Card sorting• White-board sessions• Paradigm-setting
Common site organizations
• Identity• Navigation• Novelty• Org chart• Service• Flashy• Tool-oriented
CHUNKING INFORMATION
• Modular chunks• Logically organized• Convenient for readers
SITE STRUCTURE
• Organization of pages• The users predict on where to find things• Leading through logic, consistency and
familiarity
Confusing mental models
Browsing functionality
STRUCTURAL THEMES
• Sequences• Hierarchies• Webs
SEQUENCES
hierarchies
WEBS