Designing Tag Navigation November 2007

Human Factors Engineer LexisNexis Information Architect Razorfish Germany (2003) Library & Info Science Degree Rutgers University Designing Web Navigation (O‘Reilly, Aug 2007) James Kalbach

Human Factors Engineer LexisNexis

Information Architect Razorfish Germany (2003)

Library & Info Science Degree Rutgers University

Designing Web Navigation

(O‘Reilly, Aug 2007)

Metadata

Metadata

The Navigation Layer [Filters] help people move from the world they know (“hits”) to the world they don’t (“niches”)… Soon everything will make it to the market and the real opportunity will be sorting it all out . “ “ ” ”

The Navigation Layer

1. Owner-Created Metadata Pros Consistent terms Comprehensive Cons Time intensive to create Maintenance Inflexible, rigid Example: Controlled Vocabulary

1. Owner-Created Metadata

Pros

Consistent terms

Comprehensive

Cons

Time intensive to create

Maintenance

Inflexible, rigid

Example:

Controlled Vocabulary

2. Technically Generated Metadata Pros Scales up Quick, timely Inexpensive to run Cons Can be inaccurate Performance intensive High cost to enter Examples: Entity Extraction

2. Technically Generated Metadata

Pros

Scales up

Quick, timely

Inexpensive to run

Cons

Can be inaccurate

Performance intensive

High cost to enter

3. User-Generated Metadata Pros Low maintenance Self-generating organization Low costs to get started OK for an answer Cons Lacks comprehensiveness Requires incubation time Navigating other's tags difficult Example: Tagging

3. User-Generated Metadata

Pros

Low maintenance

Self-generating organization

Low costs to get started

OK for an answer

Cons

Lacks comprehensiveness

Requires incubation time

Navigating other's tags difficult

Example:

Tagging

Tagging ≠ Tag Cloud

Why do people tag? Re-find something of value Share a resource or object with others Three key stages of tagging Creating tags Using and managing your own tags Using other people’s tags Tagging Process

Why do people tag?

Re-find something of value

Share a resource or object with others

Three key stages of tagging

Creating tags

Using and managing your own tags

Using other people’s tags

1. Creating Tags

Make it easy to tag Encourage Tagging

Make it easy to tag

Help people find words to use Prompt for Tags

Help people find words to use

Avoid space-separated tags Newyearseveparty2007 iphone_review to-read Use comma-separated Tag Form

Avoid space-separated tags

Newyearseveparty2007

iphone_review

to-read

Use comma-separated

2. Navigating Your Own Tags

Let people navigate in different ways Provide Different Views

Let people navigate in different ways

Allow people to search their resources Navigate Resources

Allow people to search their resources

Allow people to combine two tags Combine Tags

Allow people to combine two tags

3. Navigating Other People‘s Tags

Show context and provide structure Enhance Tag Clouds

Show context and provide structure

Expose other types of relevant metadata Mix Metadata

Expose other types of relevant metadata

Expose tags at the resource-level Show Tags for Resource

Expose tags at the resource-level

Browse the resources of other members Link to Other People

Browse the resources of other members

Conclusions Tagging offers an alternative to top-down classification Tags are still just another type of metadata Tagging doesn’t necessarily mean using a tag cloud Understand the broader tagging context In designing a tagging system, three stages are critical: Creating tags Navigating your own tags Navigating the tags of others People must be able to navigate tags effectively

Conclusions

Tagging offers an alternative to top-down classification

Tags are still just another type of metadata

Tagging doesn’t necessarily mean using a tag cloud

Understand the broader tagging context

In designing a tagging system, three stages are critical:

Creating tags

Navigating your own tags

Navigating the tags of others

People must be able to navigate tags effectively

Thank You www.ExperiencingInformation.com [email_address]