The document discusses information architecture and its importance. It defines information architecture as the organization, labeling, and navigation structures that help optimize searching on a website. It also discusses key information architecture components like metadata, taxonomy, content structure, and interaction design. Finally, it provides examples of common information architecture deliverables like site maps, personas, scenarios, and wireframes.

1. User Experience Design
Understanding Information Architecture
Praveen Verma
Twitter: @praveenkvma
http://www.deignprevails.blogspot.com
Mars…
&^
%*???
May 12, 2006

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And now they say it is the closest that
Information Architecture has come to
IT.
Soon it will become necessary part of
standard software development
process.

3. KEANE
Information Architecture
A Story
Information Architecture (IA)
Interaction Design (ID)
Information Design (ID too)
User-centered Design (UCD)
User-interface Design (UI)
Usability/Usability Engineering (UE)
Human Factors Engineering (HFE)

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The Problem

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The Solution
Questions
Answers
Users
• audience types
• information needs
Content
• scope and volume
• structure
• metadata
Business Context
• strategy
• resources
• culture / politics
• workflow
Interaction Interface IA
Info. Architecture:
Organization, Labeling,
Navigation Structures, &
Optimizing Searching
Systems

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The Solution
Personal Digital Assistant
Synonyms
Handheld Computer
"Alternate" Spellings
Persenal Digitel Asistent
Abbreviations / Acronyms
PDA
Broader Terms
Wireless, Computers
Narrower Terms
PalmPilot, PocketPC
Related Terms
WindowsCE, Cell Phones
Documents and Applications
Users
Communication Chasm

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Understanding Information Architecture Topology
Information architecture though deals with Business and Technology but the heart
of it lies in advocating Users needs.
Users Business
Technology
Information
Architecture
Business
Analysis
System
Analysis

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Understanding Information Architecture Components
Information
Design
Information
Organization
Interaction
Design
Findability
Understandability
Usability
Intranets, Web
applications,
websites,
software, etc.

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Understanding Information Architecture Components
Metadata,
Controlled Vocabulary
Navigation structures,
Taxonomy, Content
Follow
industry
best practices,
W3C standards,
Accessibility
Findability
Understandability
Usability

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… and some more components
The art and science of structuring and organizing information systems
to help people achieve their goals.

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Why is IA Important?
 Cost of finding (time, frustration)
 Cost of not finding (bad decisions, alternate channels)
 Cost of construction (staff, technology, planning, bugs)
 Cost of maintenance (content management, redesigns)
 Cost of training (employees, turnover)
 Value of brand (identity, reputation, trust)
- Information architects assist business analysts to identify user-based
requirements.
- IAs are responsible for how users interpret and interact with information, freeing
up visual designers to concentrate on visual design elements and programmers to
concentrate on code.
- Long before programming begins, IAs investigate customers and their needs and
they factor business strategy and technology resources into solutions. This
reduces the need later in the project to throw away code that doesn't work for
customers.

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Responsibilities
 User Research
 Increase Revenues by Innovative Solutions (online advertising, cross selling)
 Strategic Positioning
 Product Innovation
 Taxonomy
 Usability
 Usability Testing
 Comparative Studies
 Information Visualization
 Task Analysis
 etc…

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User Research

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User Research
 Study the emerging market (India as pilot) to describe the cultural context, identify
user needs and generate new business and product ideas.
 How things might be different in the future compared with the present.
 How things are today, and also how current technology is actually used.

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Intelligent Innovation

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User Research, Product Innovation, and Positioning
 Eduwise for Intel: Intel’s small notebook PC design for students, code-named
“Eduwise,” is the result of extensive ethnographic research to provide an
affordable, collaborative learning environment specifically for teachers and young
students in developing communities.

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Strategic positioning
Strategic positioning
determines who the
customers are and what
should be told about the
product or service to get them
to buy from you.
Finding the right target and
message to build your
marketing plan can be crucial
in the success of your product.

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Strategic Positioning
Project Requirement:
Create market segmentation for middle-tier
Indian market, identify and characterize
corresponding personas, and deliver an e-
persona tool.
Parameters considered:
SEC, ownership, income, urban vs. rural,
attitudes towards technology and
consumption.
Techniques:
Cluster analysis, affinity diagrams,
extensive interviewing (with few games &
exercises), and use of secondary research
like income surveys.
E-persona tool

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Increase Revenues by Innovative Solutions – Cross Selling

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Increase Revenues by Innovative Solutions – Online Advertising

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Increase Revenues by Innovative Solutions – Online Advertising

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Increase Revenues by Innovative Solutions – Navigation

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Increase Revenues by Innovative Solutions – Navigation

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Taxonomy: Metadata
 Metadata: Attributes that describe a content object
 Example Metadata Record: Compact Disc (Amazon.com)
Attributes Attribute Values
Title Symphonies nos 35-41
Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor Karl Böhm
Ensemble Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Genre Classical
Date Recorded January 23, 1996

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Taxonomy: It’s just a Camera
Narrow by Brand
Nikon (315)
Canon (251)
Sony (247)
Olympus (226)
Panasonic (162)
Kodak (162)
Fuji (150)
Mizco (96)
Hewlett-Packard (94)
Samsung (85)
Pentax (82)
Vivitar (72)
Narrow by Seller
Amazon.com (1,142)
Adorama Camera (619)
Ace Digital Club (494)
Wall Street Photo (434)
Cameta Camera (315)
Beach Audio (309)
TheFactoryDepot (289)
ANTOnline (285)
J&R Music and Computer World (254)
Target (218)
BlueZodiac (184)
17th Street Photo (178)
Narrow by Price
$0-$24 (648)
$25-$49 (417)
$50-$99 (643)
$100-$199 (904)
$200-$499 (853)
$500-$999 (287)
$1000-$1999 (138)
$2000-$4999 (28)
$5000-$9999 (4)
Narrow by Megapixels
1.9 MP & Under (190)
2 to 2.9 MP (123)
3 to 3.9 MP (237)
4 to 4.9 MP (190)
5 to 5.9 MP (371)
6 MP & Up (780)
Narrow by Optical Zoom
1.9x & Under (363)
2.0x to 3.9x (1,061)
4.0x to 5.9x (143)
6x to 9.9x (89)
10x to 19x (144)
Narrow by Display Size
1.9 in. & Under (770)
2 to 2.9 in. (927)
3 to 4.9 in. (60)
5 to 9.9 in. (1)
20 to 29 in. (1)
Narrow by Image Stabilization
None (1,522)
Optical (238)
Electronic (72)
Yes (Super SteadyShot) (2)
Digital Image Stabilization (1)
Narrow by Viewfinder Type
Optical (1,074)
None (602)
LCD (198)
Eye level Porro Mirror type Optical View Finder (15)
Eye level Penta Dach Mirror type Optical View Finder (8)
Real-image optical zoom viewfinder (3)
Fixed-eye level penta-Dach mirror type; built-in diopter adjustment (-1.7 to +0.5m-1) (3)
Optical Zoom viewfinder (2)
Real-image optical viewfinder (1)
Pentaprism SLR viewfinder with Diopter adjust (-3dpt to + 1.5dpt) (1)
Eye-level SLR with fixed pentaprism and Dioptric Adjustment Correction (1)
Brand, Seller, Price, MP,
Zoom, LCD, Image
Stabilization, Viewfinder

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Taxonomy: Classification and Term Relationships

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Task Analysis

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Task Analysis cont…

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Complex Projects (information visualization)

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Handheld Devices (interaction flow design)
Sample Bluetooth print flow
Image print specification
Template
%Print Size
%Print Number
Print Options
Image print preview
Print
▼
▲
Sent print job
Image sent to the
printing device.
Image print specification
□ Image 1
□ Image 2
□ Image 3
Select Cancel
select

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Interaction (Error Messages)

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Deliverables
 User Need Matrix: A document to capture user needs of various site users and
prioritize them accordingly.
• Value Addition
• Ensures that all user
requirements are
captured
•Helps in prioritizing
user needs and
therefore helps in
prioritizing page
elements
• Creates a snapshot
view of the user eco-
system

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Deliverables
 Site Map
• Value Addition
• Provides the high level
snapshopt view and
relationship between
pages of the site.
•Helps in restructuring
the deep hierarchies.

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Deliverables
 Personas: A persona is a user archetype to help guide decisions about product
features, navigation, interactions, and even visual design
• Value Addition
• Demographics
• Psychographics
• Environmental

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Deliverables
 Scenarios: Scenarios help you identify your visitors' goals by helping you
develop a better idea of their problems and how they relate to your firm's
solutions.
• Value Addition
• Identify the specific
information that various
categories of visitors
are interested in
• Provides holistic view
to the task flow
• Helps in prioritizing
the information needs
of the customers

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Deliverables
 Wireframes
• Value Addition
• Saves lot of time
• Ideas can be
presented without
coding
• Helps in validating
page elements and
structure with the user.

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Deliverables
 Usability Testing: Preparing Protocol, Conducting, and Reporting
• Value Addition
• Saves unnecessary
effort and time
• Helps in convincing
the clients

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Deliverables: The Process
 Holistic View of the Process
Site Map User Need Matrix Home Page Scenarios and Use cases
Low Fidelity WireframesHigh Fidelity HTML WireframesVisual Design