Taxonomy and Metadata For UXers

Taxonomy & Metadata for UXers

June 10, 2009

About Taxonomy & Metadata

What is a taxonomy?

Characteristics of a taxonomy

What isn’t a taxonomy but is related?

Creating the Deliverables

How to scope taxonomy work

How to create a taxonomy

How to create a metadata schema

How to create semantic relationships

Why create a taxonomy? Because they can:

provide unique tags for all content and assets;

allow for dynamic content delivery across the entire site;

be easy for editors and content producers to understand and use;

return more accurate search results.

A taxonomy is a set of words in a hierarchy.

A taxonomy is usually:

hierarchical

non-repetitive

built in the back-end for the CMS/ for tagging

in sync with the nomenclature of the navigation/sitemap

Parent Child

hierarchical

non-repetitive

One tag Multiple parents

hierarchical

non-repetitive

Front end tag For the CMS

hierarchical

non-repetitive

Was approved pre-taxonomy, so the taxonomy had to use it.

What isn’t a taxonomy, but is related?

Faceted Navigation

User-facing navigation with multiple filters and categories

Usually reflective of back end taxonomy; must be in sync

This term is debatable. Sometimes called “navigational taxonomy.”

Metadata Schema

Any set of data guidelines, like Dublin Core or AACR2. This sets up the data fields, but doesn’t actually name what’s in the fields.

Part of the metadata schema Part of the taxonomy

[Semantic] Relationships

The verbs that connect the tags in the taxonomy

Diddy has been involved with JLo Britney Spears has gone to Promises Rehab with Tara Reid

Scoping Taxonomy & Metadata Work

How to Create a Taxonomy

How to Create a Metadata Schema

How to Create Semantic Relationships

What do you need to do with your taxonomy & metadata? Ask:

What does the UX team and the client want to do with the content?

What will be done with the content in the future ?

What are the capabilities of the CMS?

What are the realistic capabilities of the editorial staff and tech team?

How will it be maintained?

Look at all of the site’s content.

Look at the old sitemap.

Look at the new sitemap.

Ask: “What are the biggest, highest level buckets? Who, what, where, when?”

Look at other sites and competitors.

The content drives the categories.

6. Create tags. Instead of repeating them, give them multiple parents.

Paris Hilton Actor Philanthropist Musician Ex-Con PEOPLE

7. Create synonyms for words that won’t be picked up by keywords.

Fergie Stacey Ferguson The Dutchess Hannah Montana Miley Cyrus

Ask, “What is every single piece of data relevant to this site?”

Ask, “What will people search for?”

Ask, “What other ways can I classify the content?”

Define these base on both the client and user needs. (Some will be visible on the presentation layer, some only in the CMS.)

Condense and connect.

Ask, “How can the tags/term be connected to each other?”

Make the relationships evergreen, so that they never have to be deleted or untagged. For example “Has been in a relationship with” rather than “Is dating.”

Include inverse and synonymous relationships. For example, “Has been a client of” is the inverse of “Has been the stylist to.”

There is no need to create parent-child relationships. These are in the taxonomy.

Person: Actor: Ashley Olsen Person: Actor: Mary-Kate Olsen has family member has worn designer Person: Designer: Badgley Mischka

Coming soon! Ontology 101 (everything together) Page © 2008 Razorfish. All rights reserved. Diddy has been involved with Jennifer Lopez has alias Puff Daddy has alias JLo has been involved with Kim Porter has alias Sean Combs has alias Sean John has alias Citizen Combs Actor Designer Musician Producer PEOPLE has child with Kim Porter has worked with Mary J. Blige

Quick Reference

Metadata schema: Data parameters for specific fields or elements.

Navigational taxonomy / faceted navigation: User-facing navigation with multiple filters and categories. Ontology: The taxonomy and all the corresponding relationships and data.