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Hamed Ahmed Al ZadjaliSenior Web Development Specialist
E-Services Division - eOman Portal
Information Architecture (IA)
Day 1: Information Architecture Building a general Understanding
Agenda› The History of IA
› IA Definition? And Purpose!
› Relation between IA and UX
› The Role of Information Architect
› IA Components:– Organization Schemes and Structures
– Labeling Systems
– Navigation Systems
– Search Systems
2
History of IA
› 1990s
› Websites were small and manageable.
› Time to grow = Big Mess
› The following issues started raising:
Usability and Findability disasters
Content Management Nightmare
Costly Redesign
3
What has changed!?
The CONTEXT around us has changed!
› Search engines and SEO
– Shifting attention from the Home Page.
– Social Objects and Sharing.
– Cross Channels
– Multiple Entry Points.
Web 2.04
Information Characteristics
Valuable
Useful
Desirable
Accessible
Credible
Findable
Usable
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Information Architecture Definition
The art and science of organizing and labelling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability; and an
emerging community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.
The art and science of organizing and labelling websites to support usability and findability
Organizing | Structuring | Labeling | Usability | Findability
6
IA Purpose
Help users understand:
› Where they are
› What they’ve found
› What’s around
› What to expect
To do this, you need to understand how the pieces fit together to create the larger picture, how items relate to each other.
7
IA Ultimate Goal
› Map the user experience
› Model the website dynamics
› Analyze the impact on:
– Business Processes
– Incentives
– Organization Chart
It’s no longer okay to build a website and then talk about mobile, social, and search engine optimization. These systems are all intertwingled
PETER MORVILLE, SEMANTIC STUDIOS
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
› Concerns structure
› Content Organization
› Findability
› Usability
› Comprise a small part of the user’s overall experience.
USER EXPERIENCE
› Concerns Emotions
› Facilitate engagement
› Make things more profound
› Adds context and story to a user’s natural behavior
› Gives them something to take away from their experience.
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IA and UX
The Information Architect
Information Architects are bridge builders
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Users and Content
Strategy and Tactics
Units and Disciplines
Platforms and Channels
Research and Practice
IA main Components
› Organization Schemes and Structures
› Labeling Systems
› Navigation Systems
› Search Systems
You must understand
› Context
› Content
› Users
11
What you need to know?
Bad IA Examples
› http://www.hboemtb.com/
› http://architecture.mit.edu/
› http://www.nelsononline.com/
12
Organization Schemes and Structure
The Goal:
1. Understand the different organization schemes.
2. Understand the different organization structures.
3. How to choose the best scheme and structure.
4. Ensure structure sustainability
13
Organization Schemes and Structure
Organization Schemes is how you are going to categorize your content and the various ways you'll create relationships between each piece.
Schemes Options:
1. Exact Organization Schemes
2. Subjective Organization Schemes
3. Hybrids
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Organization Schemes and StructureExact Organization Schemes
Exact organization schemes objectively divide information into mutually exclusive sections
› Alphabetical schemes
› Chronological schemes
› Geographical schemes
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Organization Schemes and StructureSubjective Organization Schemes
Subjective organization schemes categorize information in a way that may be specific to or defined by the organization or field
› Topic schemes
› Task schemes
› Audience schemes
› Metaphor schemes
16
Organization Schemes and StructureHybrid Schemes
This is often proposed as a solution when project teams cannot agree on a single scheme to categorize the content.
› Might cause confusion and affect usability
17
Organization Schemes and Structure
Organizational structure is how you define the relationships between pieces of content.
› Unlike Schemes, it’s advisable to use a hybrid structure!
Structure Options:
1. Hierarchical Structures
2. Sequential Structures
3. Matrix Structures
18
Organization Schemes and StructureHierarchical Structures
Uses top down approach or parent/child relationships between pieces of information.
› Very common and users can relate to it.
› Users start with broader categories of information and then drill down to more detailed information.
19
Organization Schemes and StructureSequential Structures
Sequential structures assume that there is some optimal ordering of content that is associated with greater effectiveness or success.
› Require users to go step-by-step, following a specific path through content.
› Very effective in e-commerce and training websites.
20
Organization Schemes and StructureMatrix Structures
A Matrix Structure allows users to determine their own path since content is linked in numerous ways
› Takes full advantage of Hypertext and HTML.
› Give more options to the users to choose how they navigate.
21
Organization Schemes and Structure
22
Organization Schemes and StructureCreating Sustainable Structures
Site Architecture has a long term impact
› Allow room for growth (Sections and Content)
› Avoid structures that are too shallow or too deep.
23
ExerciseEvaluate Your Website
1. Visit your organization’s website.
2. Identify the used scheme(s).
3. Identify the used structure.
4. Write-down your impression.
24
Labeling Systems
The Goal:
› Define Labels!
› The importance of using labels
› Common types of labels
› Guidelines for developing labels
25
Labeling Systems
Labeling is a form of information representation; it allows larger chunks of information to be conveyed without spelling out all the information.
Why is it important?
› Saves Space!
› Forms a dialog between the user and the web-site
› Show your organization and navigation systems.
http://netsecurity.about.com/
26
Labeling SystemsCommon types of labels
Contextual links
• More representational.
• Rely on the context from the surrounding text.
Headings
• Describe information that precedes them.
• Must be consistent
Index Items
• Keyword, descriptive metadata, tags, categories, thesaurus.
• Precise search
Navigation System
• Demands consistency
• No Standards
27
Labeling SystemsGuidelines
Should always focus on: Users | Content | Context
› Narrow the scope whenever possible
› Develop consistent labeling systems, not labels!
– Style
– Presentation
– Comprehensiveness
– Audience
28
ExerciseIdentify Labels
› Visit www.southwest.com
› Choose 5 labels and fill in the following table:
29
Label Destination Heading Label Destination <Title> Label
Special Offers Special Offers and Travel Deals Cheap Flights, Air Deals, & Travel Offers | Southwest Airlines
Bags Fly Free Bags Fly Free® Bags Fly Free – First and Second checked bags are free
Navigation Systems
How users browse or move through information
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Intuitive
Consistent
Reversible
Distinct
Logical
Simple
Responsive
Navigation SystemsStructure Options
Global navigation
• Primary navigation
• Appear on every page
Local navigation
• Section Sub-Menu
• Links in the Content
Utility links
• Appear in the header or footer of every page
31
Navigation SystemsDevelopment Process
Website Purpose
Identify Audience
Website Content
Website Structure
Website Outline
Visual Blueprint
Navigation System
User Research
32
ExerciseIdentify Navigation Systems
› Visit http://www.lexus-int.com/
› Identify the:
– Global Navigation
– Local Navigation
– Utility Links
› Your impression!
33
Search Systems
Defines How users look for information
› When NOT to make your site searchable?
› When to make your site searchable?
There’s no standard search mechanism
34
Search SystemsHow users search
› Users search patterns:
– Some want only the most accurate, highest quality information
– Others don't care much about the reliability of the source
– Some will wait for the results
– Others need the information yesterday
– Some are just plain happy to get any information at all
Users' needs and expectations vary widely and you need to serve their needs
35
Search SystemsDesigning the Search Interface
› General Variations:
– The level of searching expertise users have
– The kind of information the user wants
– The type of information being searched
– How much information is being searched
36
Search SystemsDesigning the Search Interface
› General Guidelines:
– Support Different Modes of Searching
– Searching and Browsing systems should be integrated
– Searching Should Conform to the Site's Look and Feel
– Search Options Should Be Clear
– Choose a Search Engine That Fits Users' Needs
– Display Search Results Sensibly
– More About Relevance (Scoring)
– Always Provide the User with Feedback
37
End of Day 1
Recap:
› The purpose and definition of IA
› The role of Information Architect
› The relation between IA and UX
› The interdependence between CONTENT | CONTEXT | USERS
› IA Main Components
38
Day 2 Agenda: Information Architecture Techniques and Practice
› Best Practices for Information Architecture Design
› Methods and Techniques for Information Architecture Design
› Start a full IA project
39
THANK YOU
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