The Handyman's Guide to SharePoint 2010 Information Architecture

© 2012 J. Kevin Parker (www.JKevinParker.com). All rights reserved. 1

The Handyman’s Guide to SharePoint Information Architecture

J. Kevin Parker

http://www.JKevinParker.com/


@JKevinParker

• Principal Consultant and Practice Lead for Information Management at T. White Parker

• More than a decade in Web design, application development, and enterprise information architecture

www.JKevinParker.com



https://twitter.com/JKevinParker

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jkevinparker

http://www.jkevinparker.com/

http://www.aiim.org/

http://www.aiim.org/Training/Certification

http://www.aiim.org/Training/Information-Management-Courses

http://www.aiim.org/Training/Information-Management-Courses

http://iainstitute.org/


Information Architecture DefinedThe Handyman’s Guide to SharePoint Information Architecture



Information Architecture is…

the art and science of systematizing, structuring, and labeling information to promote putability, findability, usability, accessibility, manageability, reliability, and securability.



IA Elevator Pitch

Information Architecture is all about relevance. It’s about finding the

things that matter—the things you and your team need to make

connections, make decisions, and make a difference. It’s about the

right person getting to the right thing at the right time. But it’s more

than simple efficiency—information architecture transforms facts

into insights by organizing content so it fits the way you and your

team think. Finding relevant material becomes intuitive. That pays

off with people spending more time acting on information, instead of

searching for it. The result: less frustration and greater productivity,

because people are working with relevant information more often.

Source: The Information Architecture Institute


http://iainstitute.org/en/learn/education/elevator_pitches.php



Tailoring Your IA Elevator PitchSometimes you must tailor your message to your audience. Below are short phrases that can help particular people understand the benefit of IA.

• Emphasize value: Information Architecture is what keeps you from paying for a site redesign next year when you've outgrown this design, and keeps your customers from calling with the same questions even though the answers are on your website.

• IA is not just user interface design: You can have a terrific user interface and still have a failed site [product, application, etc.] if the information contained there hasn’t been structured and managed to meet user expectations.

• Appeal to information technologists (IT): IA is what happens between the database and the user interface. Before someone can create the data model, you must know how your users want to use the data, or risk creating a system the users won't accept.

• The simple approach: It's about the right person finding the right information at the right time. You can’t use it if you can’t find it.

Source: The Information Architecture Institute





IA Systems have…

Context

UsersContent

IARecords

DocumentsWeb Pages

WikisLists

LibrariesImages

VideoAudio

Business GoalsFundingOrganizational CultureTechnologyResourcesConstraints

AudienceTasksNeedsInformation UsesExperience

Three circles of IA, adapted from Peter Morville & Louis Rosenfeld



IA is necessary for…

• Data Management

• Information Management

• Content Management

• Knowledge Management

• Customer Relationship Management

• Document Management

• Records Management

• Digital Asset Management

• Project Management

• Business Intelligence



SharePoint 2010 Information Architecture Toolbox

The Handyman’s Guide to SharePoint Information Architecture



SharePoint is modular platform.



Organize the parts you need…



…and build!



SharePoint IA ActivitiesActivities Artifacts Applied to SharePoint

Assess business information strategy

• Business case for information architecture & management

• Business case for SharePoint

Research business processes & identify pain points

• Business processes map• Business problem & solutions

catalog

• Workflows & event receivers• SharePoint solutions catalog

Assess information architecture & management

• IA assessment• IA blueprints• IA roadmap

• Site collections blueprints• Site types & templates• SharePoint implementation plan

Define metadata & metadata management strategy

• Taxonomies• Naming conventions

• Term Store• Term sets & term set groups• Naming conventions

Define information types & relationships

• Information models• Information maps

• Content Type Hub• Content types• Information management policies

Design structures & navigation

• Site features• Site maps• Wireframes

• Lists & libraries• List views• Site maps• Master pages

Define information roles & security

• Security roles• Security groups

• Active Directory & SharePoint groups• Site organization based on security



SharePoint IA Toolbox

Tool Set Description

Containers Containers provide organizing layers and boundaries to information and processes.

Structures Structures provide shape and order for information types.

Navigation Navigation provides users a way to browse the information.

Views Views provide different ways to look at information.

Features & Services

Some features and services are particularly important for information architecture in SharePoint.

Master Pages Master pages provide the Web page template for each page rendered for users, and there are best practices for improving these.



Containers

Web Applications

↳Managed Paths

↳Site Collections

↳Sites

↳Lists

Web Applications

Managed Paths

Site Collections

Root Site Sub Sites

ListsLists



Structures

• Site Types

• Content Types

• Term Sets



Navigation

• Top Link Bar Navigation

• Quick Launch Navigation

• Breadcrumb Navigation

• Tree View Navigation

• Metadata Navigation

• Summary Links

• Table of Contents

• Content Query

• Tag Cloud


http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee695757.aspx











Views

• List Views

• Content Query Web Part

• Page Layouts (Publishing pages)

• Text Layouts (Team wiki pages)


http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/create-modify-or-delete-a-view-HA010377693.aspx?CTT=1

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ecm/archive/2010/05/14/what-s-new-with-the-content-query-web-part.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ecm/archive/2010/05/14/what-s-new-with-the-content-query-web-part.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263106


Features & Services

• Document ID Service

• SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure

• Managed Metadata Service

• Content Type Hub

• Records Center

• Search Service


http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee559302.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff628963.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff628963.aspx


http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/office/Configuring-the-Content-ee9a0723

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff598594.aspx

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/product/capabilities/search/Pages/SharePoint-Search.aspx

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/product/capabilities/search/Pages/SharePoint-Search.aspx


Master Pages

• Add CSS file that overrides SP2010 default styles

• Add JavaScript libraries like jQuery

• Add images

• Reference these in a copy of v4.master(one way of doing it)

• Do not use tables—use CSS!

• Follow Web standards for accessibility & usability



SharePoint 2010 Site TypesThe Handyman’s Guide to SharePoint Information Architecture



Plan and Organize Site Types

Sites that are of similar business goals, organizational culture, audience, tasks, needs, and types of content can be grouped into Site Collections. This greatly simplifies things by:

• Limiting allowed site templates in each site collection;

• Limiting variations in security, information management policies, content types, list and library types, and enabled features; and

• Simplifying site collection administration.



Site Types by Use (example)Business Use Description Site Templates

Organizational Unit Team Site

Sites for teams within the organization structure

Team Site TemplateDocument Workspace TemplateMeeting Workspace TemplateProject Workspace Template

Cross-Organizational Team Site

Sites for teams that include people from across the organization

Team Site TemplateDocument Workspace TemplateMeeting Workspace TemplateProject Workspace Template

Intranet Publishing Site

An area of the Intranet below the top-level pages, like department pages explaining services offered

Publishing Site with Workflow

Shared Services Site

Sites for services across the agency Configured “Shared Services” Site Template

Community Site Sites for common interests Configured “Community” Site Template



Additional ResourcesThe Handyman’s Guide to SharePoint Information Architecture



Additional ResourcesAIIM: www.aiim.org

MIKE2.0: mike2.openmethodology.org

IA Institute: www.iainstitute.org

SharePoint CSS & Design: sharepointexperience.com

TechNet: SP2010 ECM Implementers’ Course

Books:


http://www.aiim.org/

http://mike2.openmethodology.org/

http://www.iainstitute.org/

http://sharepointexperience.com/

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/hh126808.aspx


SharePoint IA Planning: Microsoft TechNet Resources• Enterprise Content Management

• Managed Metadata & Taxonomy

• Records Management

• Web Content Management

• Digital Asset Management

• Published Intranets

• Enterprise Collaboration & Social Computing

• Enterprise Search

• Business Intelligence

• Business Connectivity Services

• Workflows

• Capacity Management

• Site & Solution Planning


http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/sharepoint/ee263905.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/sharepoint/ff924923.aspx




http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee428298

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/sharepoint/gg241215.aspx







http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc789336


For expert help in Information Management…

We help our clients do business better. Period.

www.twhiteparker.com


http://www.twhiteparker.com/


Special Thanks

My twin sons helped me with the LEGO props for this presentation. Thanks, boys!
