Site-it!: Information Architecture
Prototyping Tool
Atsushi HASEGAWA, Ph.D.
Concent, Inc.

Overview
• We have developed a web site structure
prototyping tool: Site-it!
• Site-it! enables to involve all project
members in the discussion of web site
structure.
• Using Site-it! makes to keep discussion from
getting into too specific.
• Site-it! is good for Enterprise Information
Architecture and High Level Site Structure.

Who?
Concent, Inc.
• A UX design company based in Tokyo since 2002
• Web sites, web applications: research, UX strategy, design
• UX strategy and UI prototype of information devices
Atsushi Hasegawa, Ph. D.
• An Information Architect since 2000
• Organizing IA Association Japan, HCD-Net board director,
IA Institute member and translation initiative
• Founder and President of Concent, Inc.

HCD Process: ISO 13407
1. Plan the human centered
process
Meets
requirements!
2. Specify the context of use
5. Evaluate designs against 3. Specify user and
user requirements organizational requirements
4. Produce design solutions

HCD Designing Methods
• Prototyping
• Brainstorming
• Pattern/Component Library

Elements of Web Site Design
-Server-side (DB, Apps)
Technology -Front-end (HTML/CSS,
JavaScript, Flash)
Visual Information
Communication Architecture
-Graphic Design -Content Planing
-UI Design -Organization
-Art Direction -Site Structure
-Navigation
-Labels

Information Architecture Design
• Content Plan
• Content Organization
• Site Structure
• Navigation
• Labels

Roles of Site Structure
• EIA represents the organization’s attitude to the
customer, and other stakeholders.
• and EIA also represents the brand strategy of the
organization.
• The “Main Navigation” represents the site’s concept.
• Content categories relates the DB requirements and the
CMS specification.
• Site structure is the basis of the user’s experience of the
site.

Site Structure Document
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Problems of Site Structure
Designing
1. Difficult to read / understand the context
from the document
2. Difficult to discussion among the team
3. Blank Post-it! is useful, but hard to
image what content is in it

Solution: Site-it!
• Sticky notes with templates
• 3 types of Pages: 7 templates
- Portal type (1)
- List type (text, w/ thumbnail, thumbnail: 3)
- Article type (text, w/ image, functional: 3)
• Only Title Area to write

Portal
Type
Portal
List
Type
Text Text + Thumbnail Thumbnail
Article
Type
Functional
Text Text + Image
(Web Apps)

Features of Site-it!
• Easy to prepare: anytime, everywhere
• Enable to involve people: members,
clients, managers, developers
• Easy to try multiple patterns
• Enable to concentrate to the structure,
not page details, without
misunderstanding

Site-it! is good for:
• Enterprise Information Architecture
(EIA): Relation among sites
- Micro-site strategy
- Brand portfolio and web site structure
• High level site structure of a web site
- Main categories / main navigation
- Searching path

Examples

Workshop

Thanks
• Take our brochure
• You can download this slideshow from
slideshare.com/
tag: HCII09, Site-it!, Concent, IA
• We are preparing the data of Site-it! and stencils for
applications: OmniGraffle, Visio, Excel
• For more information:
concentinc.jp/ or site-it@concentinc.jp