The document outlines the principles and strategies of information architecture (IA), emphasizing the importance of structuring and organizing information systems to meet user needs. Key components include content analysis, user testing, and collaborative planning to enhance navigational systems and improve user experience. It also discusses the use of metadata and effective labeling to facilitate information retrieval and site organization.

1. Making IA Real Planning an Information Architecture Strategy Chiara Fox Internet Librarian 2001 November 6, 2001

2. What We’ll Cover What Is Information Architecture? Know What You Have Get a Second Opinion User Test, User Test, User Test Bring It All Together

3. What is Information Architecture? Information architecture is the art and science of structuring and organizing information systems to help people achieve their goals.

4. An Ecological Approach

5. IA From Top to Bottom Top-Down portal strategy hierarchy primary path Bottom-Up sub-site objects metadata multiple paths Object X Name: Product Category: Topic: Stale Date: Author: Security: portal local subsites (HR, Engineering, R&D…)

6. Components of IA Organization Navigation (including search) Labeling

7. Organization The grouping of like content together Provides a way to browse the structure of the site Exact Schemes Chronological Geographical Alphabetical Ambiguous Schemes Subject Audience Task

8. Navigation Global Local Contextual Supplemental Search

9. Labeling The interface to the organization scheme - the names of the different categories Appears in the words in the navigation systems One of the most important aspects and one of the most difficult to do. Needs to reflect the content and the user - must be written in the users’ language

10. Websites Need an IA Strategy Websites grow organically Need to plan before you build a new site or redesign a current site Strategy begins with research

11. Know What You Have Content Analysis and Audit Content Map Classification Scheme Analysis Search and Server Log Analysis

12. Content Analysis & Audit Take a representative sample of the content on your site Look for patterns and relationships among the content What is similar What is different Possible attributes Identify ROT You will need to do a complete content audit before implementation to document the site for migration

13. Content Audit Example

14. Content Map Example Site 1 Site 2

15. Classification Scheme Analysis Compile listing of all classifications used on the site Product names Industries Look for similarities and differences Can schemes be collapsed? Do you need a new scheme?

16. Classification Scheme Analysis Example

17. Search & Server Log Analysis Take a sampling of the logs – a few hours or days depending upon site traffic Search Logs Determine top 100 terms users are searching for What terms are yielding no results? How do these terms relate to your content? Server Logs Determine most accessed pages Click-stream analysis - what path are users taking through the site

18. Get a Second Opinion Interview opinion leaders & stakeholders Discuss the goals and direction for the site Get buy in & support from top management

19. “Points of Pain” Exercise Exercise to determine which problems with the website are related to information architecture Good to do with stakeholders rather than executives Users complain that they can’t find things on the site. Everyone has different ideas about what the site should do. Hard to cross-sell products and services since they are so separate. Takes too long for the pages to load, especially on a modem.

20. User Test, User Test, User Test Exploratory user testing 10 representative users is usually enough One-on-One testing, not focus groups Ideally do it more than once

21. Card Sorting & Affinity Diagrams Card Sorting Great for understanding how users would like to see the content organized Open sort vs. closed sort Affinity Diagramming Way to analyze what the users told you in the card sorting

22. Affinity Diagram Example

23. Task Analysis & Mental Model Task Analysis More traditional usability study Have the user try to do something on the site Can use prototypes to test design Paper prototypes are great so users don’t get hung up on design Users’ Mental Model Determine what discrete tasks the user is trying to accomplish by coming to your site Match the content of your site to the mental model

24. Mental Model Example Mental Model Content Map

25. Bring It All Together Use the information you have gathered to create a structure that: Enables users to complete their tasks Supports the goals of the organization Can grow and adapt as needs change Remember you are: Determining content areas Designing navigational systems Applying clear and descriptive labels Improving search

26. Blueprint Example

27. Wireframe Example

28. Metadata Schemes Definition Metadata is structured data which describes the characteristics of a resource. It shares many similar characteristics to the cataloguing that takes place in libraries, museums and archives. Chris Taylor, University of Queensland Purposes Document surrogate (abstract, title) Maintenance attributes (date, author) Facilitates retrieval (subject, audience)

29. Metadata Schema Example Relevant to …person …product …process Subject Keywords Review Date Architectural Placement Title Attribute Name Manual Text – Controlled Vocab Engineers, Semiconductor, Fabrication Process Descriptive Manual Text – Controlled Vocab Dry Etch Technology; Transistor Descriptive Automatic Date 01-01-2002 8:00AM GMT Workflow Manual Text -Controlled Vocab My X-Zone, Product Catalog Workflow Manual Free Text My X-Zone Identity Tagging Process Value Type Examples Type of Attribute

30. Levels of Control

31. Ways to Leverage User Interface Generate browsable indexes (site-wide, sub-site, specialized authority files) Enable field-specific searching (filters, zones, sorting) Support personalization (language, location) Behind the Scenes Enable efficient content management Dynamically generate pages

32. Controlled Vocabulary in XML <SVTerm UID=&quot;SVCS::8099&quot;> <label>Document Management Systems</label> <alt>Document Delivery Systems</alt> <alt>Document Management</alt> <alt>Document Delivery</alt> <parent UREF=&quot;SVCS::80&quot;/> <child UREF=&quot;SVCS::8099129&quot;/> <child UREF=&quot;SVCS::8099130&quot;/> <child UREF=&quot;SVCS::8099131&quot;/> <child UREF=&quot;SVCS::8099132&quot;/> <child UREF=&quot;SVCS::8099133&quot;/> </SVTerm> Rapid Implementation Methodology Enterprise Document Archive

33. Next Step: Implementation Make it happen Work closely with other teams Graphic Design IT Department Content Contributors Not easy but well worth the effort

34. How To Learn More Argus Center for Information Architecture Website http://argus-acia.com IA Guide http://argus-acia.com/ia_guide/ ASIS&T SIG-IA Website http://www.asis.org/SIG/SIGIA/ Email discussion list Books Information Architecture for the World Wide Web by Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville Practical Information Architecture by Eric Reiss Web Navigation by Jennifer Fleming

35. Thank You Chiara Fox Information Architect [email_address] Presentation available at http://www.geocities.com/chiarafox PeopleSoft http://www.peoplesoft.com