IA for Drupal Vanessa Turke Solution Architect ImageX Media

Vanessa Turke

Solution Architect

ImageX Media

what is IA? Information Architecture (as defined by the IA Institute) “ The art and science of organizing and labeling web sites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability.”

what is the value of IA? The cost of finding information The cost of not finding information The cost of using information The cost of building and managing information systems The value of educating employees and customers The value of creating knowledge networks The value of strengthening brand The value of fostering innovation http://iainstitute.org/en/about/our_mission.php Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

The cost of finding information

The cost of not finding information

The cost of using information

The cost of building and managing information systems

The value of educating employees and customers

The value of creating knowledge networks

The value of strengthening brand

The value of fostering innovation

http://iainstitute.org/en/about/our_mission.php

Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

IA components Organization systems - How we categorize information Labeling systems - How we represent information Navigation systems - How we move through information Searching systems - How we search information Peter Morville, Louis Rosenfeld. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web O'Reilly, 2006 Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

Organization systems - How we categorize information

Labeling systems - How we represent information

Navigation systems - How we move through information

Searching systems - How we search information

Peter Morville, Louis Rosenfeld. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web O'Reilly, 2006

Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

process overview Identify the project needs Conduct research Create project strategy Design navigation system Organize, classify & label Create wireframe

Identify the project needs

Conduct research

Create project strategy

Design navigation system

Organize, classify & label

Create wireframe

identify project needs Type of Organization Type of Website Type of Audience Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

Type of Organization

Type of Website

Type of Audience

Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

organization type Company, Non-profit, etc. Philosophy Process Role of website in their business plan Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

Company, Non-profit, etc.

Philosophy

Process

Role of website in their business plan

Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

website type Brand Presence Marketing Campaign Content Source Task-based application E-Commerce (combines 1-4) E-Learning (combines 3 & 4) Social Network (can combine 1,2,3 & 4) Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

Brand Presence

Marketing Campaign

Content Source

Task-based application

E-Commerce (combines 1-4)

E-Learning (combines 3 & 4)

Social Network (can combine 1,2,3 & 4)

Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

audience Customers/Clients/Members Employees/Staff/Internal Competitors ??? (find out) Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

Customers/Clients/Members

Employees/Staff/Internal

Competitors

??? (find out)

Carolyn Chandler & Unger, Russ. Project Guide to UX Design, A: For user experience designers in the field or in the making: New Riders, the Voices That Matter series, 2009

conducting research Website Metrics / Analytics Inventory of all site content Stakeholder interviews User testing Environmental scan http://www.slideshare.net/rhanna/preparing-for-successful-content-management

Website Metrics / Analytics

Inventory of all site content

Stakeholder interviews

User testing

Environmental scan

http://www.slideshare.net/rhanna/preparing-for-successful-content-management

user profiles/personas Fictitious characters created to represent the different user types within a targeted demographic that might use a site or product. Personas need stories to make them complete Focus on storytelling, and don’t try to represent complete task analysis http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/personas-and-the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_%28marketing%29

Fictitious characters created to represent the different user types within a targeted demographic that might use a site or product.

Personas need stories to make them complete

Focus on storytelling, and don’t try to represent complete task analysis

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/personas-and-the

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_%28marketing%29

stories for personas Springboard stories: needs and goals Points of pain' stories: barriers to overcome Key scenarios: context for actions Narrative scenarios: what happens and why Design Maps: perceptions, actions and barriers Flow diagrams: actions and decisions Use cases: detailed sequences of actions http://www.wqusability.com/articles/personas_storytelling.html

Springboard stories: needs and goals

Points of pain' stories: barriers to overcome

Key scenarios: context for actions

Narrative scenarios: what happens and why

Design Maps: perceptions, actions and barriers

Flow diagrams: actions and decisions

Use cases: detailed sequences of actions

http://www.wqusability.com/articles/personas_storytelling.html

story goals Establish a goal and context -Why is the persona using the product now. What will make this interaction successful? Describe the interaction - Stay at a high level and avoid detailed descriptions of the interface. End with the result - What happens as a result of this interaction? What made it a success? http://www.wqusability.com/articles/personas_storytelling.html

Establish a goal and context -Why is the persona using the product now. What will make this interaction successful?

Describe the interaction - Stay at a high level and avoid detailed descriptions of the interface.

End with the result - What happens as a result of this interaction? What made it a success?

http://www.wqusability.com/articles/personas_storytelling.html

creating a project strategy “ There’s more to it than wireframes, logos, sitemaps, or stationary systems. A good brand is resultant upon aligning an organization’s values realistically and building something around this that resonates and holds value for potential customers” smashLAB's, Eric Karjaluoto http://www.slideshare.net/rhanna/preparing-for-successful-content-management

“ There’s more to it than wireframes, logos, sitemaps, or stationary systems. A good brand is resultant upon aligning an organization’s values realistically and building something around this that resonates and holds value for potential customers”

smashLAB's, Eric Karjaluoto

http://www.slideshare.net/rhanna/preparing-for-successful-content-management

creating a project strategy What is the business goal of the website? What is the mission critical task for a user to complete? http://www.slideshare.net/rhanna/preparing-for-successful-content-management

What is the business goal of the website?

What is the mission critical task for a user to complete?

http://www.slideshare.net/rhanna/preparing-for-successful-content-management

information architecture approaches Architecture mirroring real systems Need recognition Self selection Multi-dimensional Architecture http://webdesignfromscratch.com/website-architecture/information-architecture.php

Architecture mirroring real systems

Need recognition

Self selection

Multi-dimensional Architecture

http://webdesignfromscratch.com/website-architecture/information-architecture.php

designing navigational systems What is this page about? What site is this? What are the major sections of this site? What major section is this page in? What is "up" 1 level from here? How do I get to the home page of this site? How do I get to the top of this section of the site? What does each group of links represent? http://instone.org/navstress

What is this page about?

What site is this?

What are the major sections of this site?

What major section is this page in?

What is "up" 1 level from here?

How do I get to the home page of this site?

How do I get to the top of this section of the site?

What does each group of links represent?

http://instone.org/navstress

visitors information needs How do I get around this site? What’s important and unique about this organization? What’s available on this site? What’s happening there? Do they want my opinion about their site? How can I contact a human? Any mission critical information for primary users Ash, Tim. Landing Page Optimization, The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions: Sybex, Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2008 Peter Morville, Louis Rosenfeld. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web O'Reilly, 2006

How do I get around this site?

What’s important and unique about this organization?

What’s available on this site?

What’s happening there?

Do they want my opinion about their site?

How can I contact a human?

Any mission critical information for primary users

Ash, Tim. Landing Page Optimization, The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions: Sybex, Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2008

Peter Morville, Louis Rosenfeld. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web O'Reilly, 2006

assume nothing “ ...Let me reassure you that way more of your website visitors just fundamentally don’t ‘get it’ than you’d ever suspect.” Jeff Sexton, GrokDotCom

“ ...Let me reassure you that way more of your website visitors just fundamentally don’t ‘get it’ than you’d ever suspect.”

Jeff Sexton, GrokDotCom

assume nothing Not long ago, Google asked people in New York’s Times Square if they could describe what a ‘browser’ was... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ

Not long ago, Google asked people in New York’s Times Square if they could describe what a ‘browser’ was...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ

eschew obfuscation (make navigation titles easy) Research industry terms Highlight every industry term, phrase, or concept in your site content Interview random people on the street about them Ask repeated ‘why’ questions regarding your industry terms and concepts Come up with answers a 10-year old would understand http://www.grokdotcom.com/2009/08/07/im-not-an-idiot-but-i-play-one-on-online-and-so-should-you/

Research industry terms

Highlight every industry term, phrase, or concept in your site content

Interview random people on the street about them

Ask repeated ‘why’ questions regarding your industry terms and concepts

Come up with answers a 10-year old would understand

http://www.grokdotcom.com/2009/08/07/im-not-an-idiot-but-i-play-one-on-online-and-so-should-you/

website navigation models List of contents Breadcrumb trail Horizontal top bar Tabs 2-level top (bar or tabs) Top and side bars Buttons bar with revealed drop-down Multiple-level tree nav Paging http://webdesignfromscratch.com/website-architecture/navigation-models.php

List of contents

Breadcrumb trail

Horizontal top bar

Tabs

2-level top (bar or tabs)

Top and side bars

Buttons bar with revealed drop-down

Multiple-level tree nav

Paging

http://webdesignfromscratch.com/website-architecture/navigation-models.php

sitemaps

understanding ways users approach a task Known-item Exploratory Don’t know what you need to know Re-finding http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/four_modes_of_seeking_information_and_how_to_design_for_them

Known-item

Exploratory

Don’t know what you need to know

Re-finding

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/four_modes_of_seeking_information_and_how_to_design_for_them

known item Searchbox A-Z indexes of terms Quick links Navigation

Searchbox

A-Z indexes of terms

Quick links

Navigation

exploratory Navigation Related information Contextual links Search

Navigation

Related information

Contextual links

Search

don’t know what you need to know Straightforward answers Summaries Outlines of Services List of latest news, articles, blogs FAQs Related/contextual links in content body

Straightforward answers

Summaries

Outlines of Services

List of latest news, articles, blogs

FAQs

Related/contextual links in content body

re-finding Wishlists (amazon.com) Bookmarking Quick links User-based

Wishlists (amazon.com)

Bookmarking

Quick links

User-based

consulting analytics

organizing analytics information http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taking-the-guesswork-out-of-design/

create attention map to prioritize page elements http://webdesignfromscratch.com/web-design/attention-map.php http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taking-the-guesswork-out-of-design/

http://webdesignfromscratch.com/web-design/attention-map.php

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/taking-the-guesswork-out-of-design/

sketching out initial layout http://37signals.com/svn/posts/466-sketching-with-a-sharpie

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/466-sketching-with-a-sharpie

organizing, classifying & labeling Identify content types Identify attributes & values Identify relationships Identify terms & vocabulary http://www.agiledata.org/essays/dataModeling101.html

Identify content types

Identify attributes & values

Identify relationships

Identify terms & vocabulary

http://www.agiledata.org/essays/dataModeling101.html

(Presentation Slide Content Type) title title title Body Resource

Body

Resource

content types documented

roles and permissions documented

The Nine Pillars of Sucessful Web Teams User Research* Site Strategy* Technology Strategy Content Strategy* Abstract Design* Technology Implementation Content Production Concrete Design Project Management http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/essays/archives/000242.php

User Research*

Site Strategy*

Technology Strategy

Content Strategy*

Abstract Design*

Technology Implementation

Content Production

Concrete Design

Project Management

http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/essays/archives/000242.php

thank you! Vanessa Turke http://www.imagexmedia.com/about/team/vanessa-turke Presentation Resources: http://www.vanessaturke.net/ia-ux

Vanessa Turke

http://www.imagexmedia.com/about/team/vanessa-turke

Presentation Resources:

http://www.vanessaturke.net/ia-ux