Information Architecture & Design Information Architecture & Design

• Week 14 Schedule- (Non-Web) IA Beyond the Browser- Rosenfeld Chapter 19- Other Primary Readings- BREAK- Research Topic Presentations (2)- 10 Minute Drill• 2 More This Week• 2 More Next Week

IA Methodology

Analysis Design

Verification Construction Maintenance

Planning

Enterprise IA is DifferentEnterprise IA is Different

• Not Completely• Application Design

- Webify – Front Ends- Database Use

• (Even More) Integration Issues- Content- Quality & Quantity

• Existing Design Guidelines• More Specific Users• More Definable Goals• Enforced Use

- Use Data- Feedback for Verification

Enterprise IA OutcomesEnterprise IA Outcomes

• Centralized- More Return on Investment – Efficient Use- Reduced Development Costs

• Clarified- Consistent- Accurate

• Simplified Technology Platform- More Open to Information Sharing- IA Structures Help Define Organization (Goals)

• Extendable IA System

Enterprise IA StrategiesEnterprise IA Strategies

• Problems- Scheduling Aggressiveness- Comprehensive Information Expectation- Information Feudalism (Turf Battles)

• Solutions- Executive Sponsorship- Skunk Works, Tiger Teams, Barrel of Monkeys - Keep Your Eye on ROI- Internal Promotion (Clients)- Stakeholder Solicitation (Clients)- Frozen – Thaw – Freeze Again

• Framework Checklist on Page 375

IA Beyond the BrowserIA Beyond the Browser• Location?

- Everywhere- Household- Automobile- Fieldwork- Officework

• Purpose?- Everything (Integrated Devices)- Single Task (Appliances)

• Interface?- Personalized- Simplified

• Audio In• Audio Out

- Modal- Contextual

IA Beyond the Browser (2)IA Beyond the Browser (2)• Intimacy?

- Not just “My” Yahoo- My Device

• Faceplates• Ringtones• Button Overlays

• Ubiquity?- Proximity- Interoperability

• Content?- Dynamic Streaming Data- Email – Voicemail – Pic mail- Web Data- Synchronize

• Altogether New Designs and Functions

Future IAFuture IA

• Bandwidth- Wireless

• Security- Financial Mgmt- Cryptography

• Ubiquitous Computing• Privacy• Cultural- Adoption- Revolution

Handhelds for Info RetrievalHandhelds for Info Retrieval

• PDAs are for task-specific use• Locating and Relocating Information- Directions- Shopping Lists- Phone Numbers

• Mental Models for Remembering Information• What are the Differences between Handheld

and PC Web Browsers?

Albers & Kim (2000)

Handhelds for Info Retrieval (2)Handhelds for Info Retrieval (2)

• The Nature of Information Retrieval Tasks- Simple Information Look-up• Search for Existing (Local) Information• Search for New (Networked) Information

- Information Manipulation• Comparison• Editing (Tweaking)

- Navigate – Locate – Recognize

• Screen Size Reduces User Effectiveness• Device Memory Limitations Affect

Comprehensiveness• Bandwidth?

Handhelds for Info Retrieval (3)Handhelds for Info Retrieval (3)• Existing Guidelines for Design- Human Short Term Memory 7+/-2• Unfamiliar Tasks• Cognitive Overload

- Scrolling and “Clicking” Interfere• Will Not• Can Not• See (?) Not

- Minimal Graphics (Resolution) Affects Landmark Use- More Skimming, Information Lost- Task Focus Equalized Among Tasks- Leverage Existing Mental Models• Hierarchical Models• The Right Schema (Appearance)

Handhelds for Info Retrieval (4)Handhelds for Info Retrieval (4)

• Key Differences Between Desktop and Handheld Interfaces- Text - Graphics- Audio

• Implications for Future Research- Short Term Memory Models- Learning New Mental Models- Design Evaluation

• Excellent Bibliography

Web Design IssuesWeb Design Issues• When Searching for Information in a Small

Screen Display • 28 User Experiment• “Strategic Information Searches”• Desktop PC vs. Palm (IIIc)• More Time on Handheld (Varied)• Information Location Breakdowns at 225 & 350

Words (5 Test Pages)• Accuracy Similar Among Systems

Kim & Albers (2001)

Web Design Issues (2)Web Design Issues (2)• Re-Think Web Design Ideas and Guidelines• “Web Browsing vs. Strategic Information Seeking”• Task-Specific

- Look-Ups (Reminding and Refreshing)- Not Exhaustive Searches (Learning)- “Answer Clearly Articulated Questions”

• Most Guidelines are for Interfaces, Not Information (Architecture)- Not Just Less Information- Not Only Lists, but Structures- IA May Help More Than UI

• On-Line Comprehension- Even Less on Handhelds (Note Cards?)- Context & Concise Information

• Order of Problems & Tasks• Relative Semantic Representations of Information• Timely

Typical Dynamic Info ViewTypical Dynamic Info View

Typical News ViewTypical News View

Typical Menu ViewTypical Menu View

Using Small Screen SpaceUsing Small Screen Space

• Semi-Transparency for Widgets with Text• Delays in Overlapping Widget Display for

Interaction Save Display Space• Design Inspirations- Magic Lens• Filtering to Modify Presentation• Weather – Traffic – Population Map(s)

- Pad++• Zooming• Panning

- Gestures• Graffiti

Kamba, Elson, Harpold, et al. (1996)

Using Small Screen Space (2)Using Small Screen Space (2)

Using Small Screen Space (3)Using Small Screen Space (3)

Using Small Screen Space ResultsUsing Small Screen Space Results

• Familiarity Improves Interaction• Users Wanted to “Break the UI” - If No

Overlap, No Delay for Interaction• Shorter Delay Time (1/5 second)• Icons First vs. Text First Interaction

• How Would Information Complexity Change this Design?

• Additional Feedback with Audio?

Improving Mobile Internet UsabilityImproving Mobile Internet Usability

• WAP Issues• How Does the Protocol Affect IA?• Put “web-like material on current and future

phone networks” p 673

• Using “ellipsis” to diplay important information elements

• Phones (Still) Currently (Primarily) Support Hierarchical Menus- Orange - LOTS of key presses• Perfect avg = 8.2• Test avg = 16.5

Buchanan, et al. (2001)

Improving Mobile Internet Usability (2)Improving Mobile Internet Usability (2)

- Currently: “2,2,2” for “C”- Improved with Scrollable List of Possible Choices• Best Match• Possible Match• Function Synonyms (Labels)

- Not Frequently-Used Functions• Dynamic Interfaces (Can) Cause Confusion• Conflicts with Habit• Less Optimal, But Predictable

- WebTwig Dynamic Outline Works- Cursor Keys Need to Be Improved- Avoid Scrolling- Use Action Text

Other ProtocolsOther Protocols

- 802.11- Bluetooth- 3G- GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)- GPRS (Global Packet Radio Service)- WAP- WML- XML- Flash- PAD++

IA Toolbox of Handheld IdeasIA Toolbox of Handheld Ideas

• Companies - Programs- AvantGo- Palm Developer- Air2Web- I-Mode- PocketPC- Symbian- Nokia- MetroWerks

IA Resources for the FutureIA Resources for the Future• “Smart Mobs” – Howard Rheingold• “Contextual Computing”• Invisible Computer – Don Norman• Good Old-Fashioned Future - Bruce Sterling• Industrial Design

• DoCoMo• Apple Knowledge Navigator• HP “Cooltown”• IBM Pervasive Computing• UbiComp• IEEE Spectrum• Japan

Next WeekNext Week

• Advanced (Special Case) IA Topics• Readings- Questions for Class Discussion- Class Participation

• 10-Minute Drills Continue: Project Group Check-In

• EoY