Women, fire & dangerous things: What every IA should know Donna Maurer – Maadmob Interaction Design

About me Freelance information architect/interaction designer I design structures & interfaces for complex informational & interactive systems 6+ years professional experience, as an innie, an outie & a freelancer Designed loads of business applications, websites, intranets Practice, teach and write about IA and IxD Chair for next year's IA Summit Writing a book about card sorting - due Jan 2007 IAI board member

Freelance information architect/interaction designer

I design structures & interfaces for complex informational & interactive systems

6+ years professional experience, as an innie, an outie & a freelancer

Designed loads of business applications, websites, intranets

Practice, teach and write about IA and IxD

Chair for next year's IA Summit

Writing a book about card sorting - due Jan 2007

IAI board member

About the book About categorisation and cognition It offers a challenge and alternatives to the classical theory of categorisation Understanding categorisation is fundamental to information architecture work Can be paradigm shifting “ Stop! The! World! For! A! Moment!” (http://shelter.nu/blog-102.html)

About categorisation and cognition

It offers a challenge and alternatives to the classical theory of categorisation

Understanding categorisation is fundamental to information architecture work

Can be paradigm shifting

“ Stop! The! World! For! A! Moment!” (http://shelter.nu/blog-102.html)

Why is it important The idea of a category is central... Most symbols (i.e., words & representations) do not designate particular things or individuals in the world... Most of our words & concepts designate categories. There is nothing more basic than categorization to our though, perception, action & speech. Every time we see something as a kind of thing, for example, a tree, we are categorizing

The idea of a category is central... Most symbols (i.e., words & representations) do not designate particular things or individuals in the world... Most of our words & concepts designate categories. There is nothing more basic than categorization to our though, perception, action & speech. Every time we see something as a kind of thing, for example, a tree, we are categorizing

Classical categorisation theory The classical view of a category: an abstract container with things either inside or outside clear boundaries defined by common properties of the members items are in the same category if and only if they have certain properties in common independent of who is doing the categorising no member of a category has any special status all levels of a hierarchy are important and equivalent

The classical view of a category:

an abstract container with things either inside or outside

clear boundaries

defined by common properties of the members

items are in the same category if and only if they have certain properties in common

independent of who is doing the categorising

no member of a category has any special status

all levels of a hierarchy are important and equivalent

Let’s play family feud

Basic-level categories

Basic level categories Categories are not merely organized in a hierarchy from the most general to the most specific, but are also organised so that the categories that are most cognitively basic are "in the middle" of a general-to-specific hierarchy. Generalisation proceeds upward from the basic level and specialization proceeds down

Categories are not merely organized in a hierarchy from the most general to the most specific, but are also organised so that the categories that are most cognitively basic are "in the middle" of a general-to-specific hierarchy. Generalisation proceeds upward from the basic level and specialization proceeds down

What’s this?

Example

Basic-level categories A basic level category is in the middle of a hierarchy Learned earliest Usually has a short name in frequent use People are fast at identifying category members A single mental image can reflect the category No definitive basic level for a hierarchy Dependent on the person who is thinking Most of our knowledge is organised around basic level categories

A basic level category is in the middle of a hierarchy

Learned earliest

Usually has a short name in frequent use

People are fast at identifying category members

A single mental image can reflect the category

No definitive basic level for a hierarchy

Dependent on the person who is thinking

Most of our knowledge is organised around basic level categories

Prototype effects

Prototype effects Categories have best, or prototypical examples, with some members of the category being more representative than other members If the classical theory were true, no member of a category would have any special status

Categories have best, or prototypical examples, with some members of the category being more representative than other members

If the classical theory were true, no member of a category would have any special status

Prototype effects

Other challenges to classical categorisation theory

Other challenges Family resemblance Category members may be related to one another without all having properties in common (game) Graded categories Degrees of membership and no clear boundaries Idealised cognitive models Complex structures that need a frame of reference Weekend Bachelor Lie

Family resemblance

Category members may be related to one another without all having properties in common (game)

Graded categories

Degrees of membership and no clear boundaries

Idealised cognitive models

Complex structures that need a frame of reference

Weekend

Bachelor

Lie

Other challenges Cluster models Mother - birth model, genetic model, marital model, genealogical model Radial categories Mother is also an example of a radial category Ideals - many categories are understood in terms of abstract ideal cases, which may not be typical or stereotypical The ideal husband Successful marriages

Cluster models

Mother - birth model, genetic model, marital model, genealogical model

Radial categories

Mother is also an example of a radial category

Ideals - many categories are understood in terms of abstract ideal cases, which may not be typical or stereotypical

The ideal husband

Successful marriages

Women, fire & dangerous things From the Dyirbal language Bayi Men, kangaroos, possums, bats, most snakes, most fishes, some birds, most insects, moon, storms, rainbows, boomerangs, some spears Balan Women, bandicoots, dogs, platypus, echidna, some snakes, some fishes, most birds, scorpions, crickets, hairy mary grub, water or fire, sun, stars, shields, some spears, some trees Balam Edible fruit and plants that bear them, tubers, ferns, honey, cigarettes, wine, cake Bala Parts of the body, meat, bees, wind, yamsticks, some spears, most trees, mud, stones, noises, language

From the Dyirbal language

Bayi

Men, kangaroos, possums, bats, most snakes, most fishes, some birds, most insects, moon, storms, rainbows, boomerangs, some spears

Balan

Women, bandicoots, dogs, platypus, echidna, some snakes, some fishes, most birds, scorpions, crickets, hairy mary grub, water or fire, sun, stars, shields, some spears, some trees

Balam

Edible fruit and plants that bear them, tubers, ferns, honey, cigarettes, wine, cake

Bala

Parts of the body, meat, bees, wind, yamsticks, some spears, most trees, mud, stones, noises, language

So what?

One of the reasons why the classical theory of categorization is becoming more, rather than less, popular, is that it is built into the foundations of mathematics and into much of our current computer software. Since mathematical and computer models are being used more and more as intellectual tools in the cognitive sciences, it is not surprising that there is considerable pressure to keep the traditional theory of classification at all costs. It fits the available intellectual tools, and abandoning it would require the development of new intellectual tools. And retooling is no more popular in the academy than in industry.

One of the reasons why the classical theory of categorization is becoming more, rather than less, popular, is that it is built into the foundations of mathematics and into much of our current computer software. Since mathematical and computer models are being used more and more as intellectual tools in the cognitive sciences, it is not surprising that there is considerable pressure to keep the traditional theory of classification at all costs. It fits the available intellectual tools, and abandoning it would require the development of new intellectual tools. And retooling is no more popular in the academy than in industry.

Classical theory is pervasive Enterprise IA Content management systems based on strict hierarchies Enterprise taxonomy projects Business analysis Defining business process & roles Trying to force people into a model Defining categories to fit data into computers Information architects Endless discussions about ‘what is IA’ IA can be tough!

Enterprise IA

Content management systems based on strict hierarchies

Enterprise taxonomy projects

Business analysis

Defining business process & roles

Trying to force people into a model

Defining categories to fit data into computers

Information architects

Endless discussions about ‘what is IA’

IA can be tough!

Implications for IA – Basic level Analyse user research data to identify basic-level Basic level names are short and frequently used Use basic-level categories as trigger words Basic level items are easily recognised, and have good scent. Card sort with basic level items rather than more granular content elements In navigation, get people to the basic level of the hierarchy as soon as possible Test navigation items for basic-level characteristics

Analyse user research data to identify basic-level

Basic level names are short and frequently used

Use basic-level categories as trigger words

Basic level items are easily recognised, and have good scent.

Card sort with basic level items rather than more granular content elements

In navigation, get people to the basic level of the hierarchy as soon as possible

Test navigation items for basic-level characteristics

Implications for IA – Basic level

Implications for IA Recognise the failures of classical theory you'll be less stressed about why categorisation is not neat 'Miscellaneous' / 'everything else' categories are cognitively real, just not easy to use as navigation Approximations in categorisation are OK Use prototypical items when communicating - they represent a category well For discussion – does some of this explain the popularity of tagging’?

Recognise the failures of classical theory

you'll be less stressed about why categorisation is not neat

'Miscellaneous' / 'everything else' categories are cognitively real, just not easy to use as navigation

Approximations in categorisation are OK

Use prototypical items when communicating - they represent a category well

For discussion – does some of this explain the popularity of tagging’?

Questions & thanks http://maadmob.net/ 0409-778-693 [email_address]

http://maadmob.net/

0409-778-693

[email_address]