This document discusses information architecture and its goal of helping people navigate information effectively. It defines information architecture as structuring information to facilitate intuitive access to content. The document also discusses how information architecture involves designing information presentation, navigation systems, and taxonomies to organize relationships between entities, labels and categories. Finally, it notes that good information architecture aims to make interfaces "be good" by aligning with business goals and user needs.

1. TheUnderstanding Group
Repeatable Magic?
Aligning Business Goals and User Needs with Information Architecture
http://understandinggroup.com/glsec The
Understanding
Group

3. is magic
scalable?

4. is magic
repeatable?

6. Information Architecture
is about how to choose the
right way to present
information and how to help
people navigate through it.
It’s a way of thinking
in which the aim is not to make
something look good
but to make it be good.

14. The Elements of User Experience Jesse James Garrett
jjg@jjg.net
A basic duality: The Web was originally conceived as a hypertextual information space; 30 March 2000
but the development of increasingly sophisticated front- and back-end technologies has
fostered its use as a remote software interface. This dual nature has led to much confusion,
as user experience practitioners have attempted to adapt their terminology to cases beyond
the scope of its original application. The goal of this document is to define some of these
terms within their appropriate contexts, and to clarify the underlying relationships among
these various elements.
Web as software interface Concrete Completion Web as hypertext system
Visual Design: visual treatment of text,
Visual Design: graphic treatment of interface
elements (the "look" in "look-and-feel") Visual Design graphic page elements and navigational
components
Interface Design: as in traditional HCI: Navigation Design: design of interface
design of interface elements to facilitate elements to facilitate the user's movement
user interaction with functionality
Interface Design Navigation Design through the information architecture
Information Design: in the Tuftean sense:
designing the presentation of information Information Design Information Design: in the Tuftean sense:
designing the presentation of information
to facilitate understanding to facilitate understanding
Interaction Design: development of Interaction Information Information Architecture: structural design
time
application flows to facilitate user tasks,
defining how the user interacts with
Design Architecture of the information space to facilitate
intuitive access to content
site functionality
Functional Specifications: "feature set":
detailed descriptions of functionality the site
Functional Content Content Requirements: definition of
content elements required in the site
must include in order to meet user needs Specifications Requirements in order to meet user needs
User Needs: externally derived goals User Needs: externally derived goals
for the site; identified through user research,
ethno/techno/psychographics, etc. User Needs for the site; identified through user research,
ethno/techno/psychographics, etc.
Site Objectives: business, creative, or other
internally derived goals for the site Site Objectives Site Objectives: business, creative, or other
internally derived goals for the site
task-oriented Abstract Conception information-oriented
This picture is incomplete: The model outlined here does not account for secondary considerations (such as those arising during technical or content development)
that may influence decisions during user experience development. Also, this model does not describe a development process, nor does it define roles within a
user experience development team. Rather, it seeks to define the key considerations that go into the development of user experience on the Web today.
© 2000 Jesse James Garrett http://www.jjg.net/ia/

19. January 2010 “Topic Overview: Information Architecture”
Dual Industry Definitions Of “Information Architecture” Reflect Micro And Macro Focus
© 2010, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

20. January 2010 “Topic Overview: Information Architecture”
Dual Industry Definitions Of “Information Architecture” Reflect Micro And Macro Focus
(Cont.)
© 2010, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

21. 1989 1992 1997 2000
1998 2005
2000 2002 2000/2003

22. “...you used to be much muchier”

23. interpretation
synthesis

24. ontology
taxonomy
choreography

25. ontology
ὄντος - of being
λογία - logia: science, study, theory

26. what we mean
when we say
what we say

29. 13

30. 15

36. taxonomy
άξις - taxis: order, arrangement
νόµος - nomos: law or science

37. the system
of relationships
between
entities, labels
and categories

38. 17

42. choreography
χορεία - circular dance
γραφή – writing

43. the instructions
and rules for how
things should
move

44. 20

53. ontology
taxonomy
choreography

54. how do
we know
when IA
is good?
Tysen Perszyk, Photograph entitled Yummy Lemon Time (2009)

55. performance

59. of the beach
of the town

61. ease of use
power of
functionality

63. owner
user

66. public
private

69. inactive
individual
young
small
large
old
group
active

70. ontology
taxonomy
choreography

71. business goals
what the the
we mean system instructions
when we of and rules
say what relationships for how
we between things
say entities move
labels and
categories
user needs

72. make things
be good

73. TheUnderstanding Group
Thanks!
http://understandinggroup.com/glsec The
Understanding
Group
The
Understanding