Introduction to Information Architecture

Class 1:How we will learn Information Architecture Instructor: Abby Covert

The world is complex 3

The world is complex• People face more choices and avenues 3

The world is complex• People face more choices and avenues• Businesses are under more pressure 3

The world is complex• People face more choices and avenues• Businesses are under more pressure• Technology is advanced, but constantly changing 3

The world is complex• People face more choices and avenues• Businesses are under more pressure• Technology is advanced, but constantly changing• We are all personally experiencing information overload 3

Information is not found, it is Communicated Data Information Knowledge Wisdom• Research • Presentation • Conversation • Contemplation• Creation • Organization • Storytelling • Evaluation• Gathering • Integration • Interpretation• Discovery • RetrospectionSlide adapted from Nathan Shedroff’s Diagram “An Overview of Understanding” 4

Communication is about understanding 5

How people understandSlide adapted from Nathan Shedroff’s Diagram “An Overview of Understanding” 6

How people understand Data• Contextless• Exhaustive, not curated• Not meant to inform the consumerSlide adapted from Nathan Shedroff’s Diagram “An Overview of Understanding” 6

How people understand Data Information• Contextless • The careful• Exhaustive, arrangement not curated of data to• Not meant to perform in a inform the context consumerSlide adapted from Nathan Shedroff’s Diagram “An Overview of Understanding” 6

How people understand Data Information Knowledge• Contextless • The careful • Gained through• Exhaustive, arrangement experience with not curated of data to the same set of• Not meant to perform in a data from a variety inform the context of perspectives consumerSlide adapted from Nathan Shedroff’s Diagram “An Overview of Understanding” 6

How people understand Data Information Knowledge Wisdom• Contextless • The careful • Gained through • An intimate• Exhaustive, arrangement experience with understanding of not curated of data to the same set of patterns and meta• Not meant to perform in a data from a variety patterns enough to inform the context of perspectives allow for novel uses consumerSlide adapted from Nathan Shedroff’s Diagram “An Overview of Understanding” 6

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking• “Uh, Huh”: Not admitting ignorance when faced with it 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking• “Uh, Huh”: Not admitting ignorance when faced with it• Unnecessary Exactitude: Including more detail than is helpful 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking• “Uh, Huh”: Not admitting ignorance when faced with it• Unnecessary Exactitude: Including more detail than is helpful• Rainbow Worship: Believing that more color or colorful ﬂowery language is always better 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking• “Uh, Huh”: Not admitting ignorance when faced with it• Unnecessary Exactitude: Including more detail than is helpful• Rainbow Worship: Believing that more color or colorful flowery language is always better• Edifitis: Belief that a better, shinier “such and such” could and will fix the problem 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking• “Uh, Huh”: Not admitting ignorance when faced with it• Unnecessary Exactitude: Including more detail than is helpful• Rainbow Worship: Believing that more color or colorful flowery language is always better• Edifitis: Belief that a better, shinier “such and such” could and will fix the problem• Not asking Why: Simple as that. Always ask why. 7

Some (of many) Enemies of Understanding• Familiarity: Being too close to the problem can make you forget to remember what it is like to NOT understand• Looking good vs. being good: Tricking yourself into thinking something is good because it is good looking• “Uh, Huh”: Not admitting ignorance when faced with it• Unnecessary Exactitude: Including more detail than is helpful• Rainbow Worship: Believing that more color or colorful flowery language is always better• Edifitis: Belief that a better, shinier “such and such” could and will fix the problem• Not asking Why: Simple as that. Always ask why.• How before What: Thinking to specifically about solutions before the problem is defined 7

What HAppens without understanding? 8

Spray-n-Pray is common wisdom 9

Corporate Underpants start to show 10

Shiny, dusty objects accumulate 11

Trends win out over needs 12

InformationArchitects to the rescue... 13

I am aninformationarchitectI intend to because I believemake the unclear clear everything is complexput the what architecture framesbefore the how problems, design solves themfacilitate understanding understanding isorganize meaning, always good but it iscreate clarity and equally important toestablish truth not understand support goals, makers clarity is a and users prerequisite of truthby: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn 14

Why we need Change? Stakeholder Interviews Competitive Research Heuristic Evaluation Existing User Research What Are How will we doing? we do this?Touchpoint Mapping Workshop tools I use + Wireframes and Prototypes User Segmentation Workshop questions I help Functional Speciﬁcations Goal Setting Workshop Content Inventory Experience Brief Answer Who to When Are we Consider? Doing what? User Research Flow, Maps and Roadmaps Persona Development Scoping Workshop Collaborative Design Session 15

#1 question: What aboutContent Strategyand Interaction Design? 19

InformationArchitecture • Facilitates understanding • Orders meaning • Establishes truth • Creates clarity • Makes pictures of consensus 20

Content Strategy• Determines content requirements• Documents page level info hierarchy• Informs content creation by establishing content level goals• Shares content level audience insight 21

Interaction Design• Designs the pieces• Reﬁnes the ﬂow• Determines the edges and errors• Documents the solutions 22

User Research • Informs Strategy • Tests solutions • Compares performance • Measures success 23

#2 question:Whats this UX thing? 24

User Experience isa result, not a toolHow users feel? How users act? effect you have Your return on investment 25

#3 question:Who does what? 26

Most people in this world wear many hats Information Architecture As a result... In te r • UX has become a catch all word for people De ac sig tio n n working in these ﬁelds • Job titles tend to be confusing • Outsiders tend to not understand theCon ten difference between these things t St rat egy User Research 27

Questions? CovertA@newschool.edu @ Abby_The_IA www.Abbytheia.com(Slides are on Blackboard)

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Introduction to Information Architecture

by Abby Covert on Aug 27, 2012

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Introduction to Information Architecture Presentation Transcript