This document discusses domain modeling as a way to organize information architecture (IA) and content strategy work. It explains that a domain model captures the overall context and relationships of concepts within a subject area, independent of any interface, to establish a shared understanding. This informs subsequent models like content models, which describe required properties for each concept, and taxonomies. Domain modeling helps ensure all content fits together cohesively, allows for flexibility across sites and devices, and promotes stakeholder alignment. The presentation encourages information architects to lead domain modeling activities early in projects to guide downstream work.

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WASHINGTON DC

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SETTING INTERFACE
FOUNDATIONS WITH IA

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CONTENT IS EVERYWHERE

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WORLD IA DAY 2016
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WORLD IA DAY 2016
CARRIE HANE
@CARRIEHD

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OUR JOURNEY
• WHERE ARE WE NOW?
• WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO?
• HOW DO WE GET THERE?
• WHAT DOES THAT GET US?
• HOW DOES THIS CHANGE YOUR WORK?

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WHERE ARE WE NOW?

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WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd
WE’VE GOT
SOME
PROBLEMS
01
So much content
02
So many devices
03
Changing design trends
04
Organization-centric
05
Silos

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Garbage in, garbage out

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WHERE ARE WE GOING?

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Future

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WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd
The road to
the future
01
Ask better questions
02
Take a step back
03
Think differently

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IA and content strategy to the rescue!
https://flic.kr/p/pgLUU3

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HOW DO WE GET THERE?

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Make the future happen

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WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd
Domain
Model*
01
Mental model of a subject domain
02
Captures the overall context of
subject
03
Visualization of how concepts
and relationships fit together
04
Models truth, not websites
* Thanks to Mike Atherton for these ideas

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RELATIONSHIPS
Hold specific meaning within a
domain
Defined at a general level
Have descriptive properties
Explain how concepts connect in
reality
Define structure outside an interface
Establish and support learning
through linking
CONCEPTS
WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd

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Domain Model
orbits
wrote
partOf
adaptationOf

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Domain Model

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Isn’t this a content model?

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CONTENT IS
EXPRESSION
DOMAIN IS CONTEXT
WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd

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Content Model
• Follows from the domain model
• Concerned with the content offered to users
• Describes the required properties of each concept
Domain models capture overall meaning. Content models add specific structure.
WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd

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Content models describe properties of each concept
Content model created for the 2015 IA Summit
WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd

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From domain model to content model
The domain model expresses the main concept, the content model describes it with properties.
WORLD IA DAY 2017 | #WIAD17 #WIADDC | @carriehd

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Domain model before
… content model
… taxonomies
… site maps

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What does this get us?

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Deliberately decide what to include

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Understand how 200 sites fit together

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Creates expansiveness, sets boundaries

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How can I do this?

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Part of research

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Getting hold of the words
Describing the subject domain unpacks concepts, terms, relationships and rules.

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Pre-card sort activity

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Concepts extracted
Brand: The overall brand, distinct from
specific events.
Event: The 2016 IA Summit is an event.
Location: Place the event is held. Different
city each year.
Venue: Within the location, a specific venue
(usually a hotel) houses the event.
Hotel: The ‘official’ hotel for attendee
accommodation. Usually this is the same as
the event venue, though not necessarily.
Role: The specific role (such as a speaker, co-
chair, or volunteer) a person has within an
event. A person may hold one or more roles
for the same event.
Person: An individual associated with one or
more events.
Topic: May refer to the subject theme of a
specific session, or an overall event.
Session: A specific occurrence within an
event, such as a workshop or social.
Session format: The type of session, such as
45m talk, social, or workshop.
Track: A thematic grouping of sessions
Sponsor: Company who sponsors an event or
specific session

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Project validation

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Lead, don’t dictate

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HOW DOES A DOMAIN MODEL
HELP?

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Content & IA
1. Single source for a thing

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Real world things don’t change
People
Involved in IA Summit
Involved in current
year’s Summit
Volunteers in
current year’s
Summit
See “Positing 3 axes of web design (possibly 4)” by Michael Smethurst, http://smethur.st/posts/176135864

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Content & IA
1. Single source for a thing
2. Curation
cu•rate: to pull together, sift through, and select for presentation

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Content & IA
1. Single source for a thing
2. Curation
3. Flexibility
within an interface
across interfaces
across devices

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Organization
1. Stakeholder alignment
2. Prioritization
3. Cohesive set of properties

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How could this change your work?

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THANK YOU.
QUESTIONS?
PLEASE CONTACT:
CARRIE HANE
CARRIE@TANZENCONSULTING.COM | @CARRIEHD
TANZENCONSULTING.COM