Downloaded 28 times
![Instead of thinking about IA as building a house, consider building a city. Full of
traffic, business, art, design, community and people. Seattle is my city.
I, Cacophony [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Oranviri at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0
(www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia
Commons](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/uxjozi-121115063345-phpapp02/75/Why-I-teach-Content-Strategy-in-Information-Architecture-4-2048.jpg)
Uploaded byMisty Weaver
Why I teach Content Strategy in Information Architecture
The document summarizes why the author teaches content strategy. It begins by introducing the author and their background in communication strategy for nonprofits. It then discusses how the author's education and experience living in Seattle influences their work. The author views information architecture like building a city rather than just a house. They emphasize the importance of content inventory and audit in understanding what content exists on a site and its quality. The goal is to deliver relevant content to users and search engines. Inventories and audits are presented as diagnostic tools to improve structure, design, trust and people's online experiences.
More Related Content
Similar to Why I teach Content Strategy in Information Architecture
More from Misty Weaver
Why I teach Content Strategy in Information Architecture
- 1. Why I TeachContent Strategy Misty Weaver UX Johannesburg November 14, 2012
- 2. Who? Misty Weaver Twitter @meaningmeasure LinkedInwww.linkedin.com/in/mistymelissaweaver My work is all about Communication Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations: Community Management, Social Media Marketing, Content Creation, Curation and Publishing, Website Management, Events
- 3. Old School Masters Library& Information Science Lecturer, University of Washington Information School
- 4. Instead of thinkingabout IA as building a house, consider building a city. Full of traffic, business, art, design, community and people. Seattle is my city. I, Cacophony [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Oranviri at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
- 5. Seattle Public Librarystands as an example of Seattle Public Library forward thinking, open design meant for community use.
- 6. We want alittle of everything, art & architecture, style & use, design & display. The experience music project is both fun and functional.
- 7. We are abit quirky in Seattle, art crops up under bridges and we like to play. www.stachesofseattle.com
- 8. My work isinfluenced by my education, the city in which I live and what I do now with community. New School
- 9. Talking ‘bout • ContentStrategy in Information Architecture & User Experience Design Discovery Process • Role of Content Inventory & Audit in the Customer Journey
- 10. • By Khammurabi Jeff Voigt
- 11. “Useful, usable contentis a process, not a product. It needs people who are responsible for ongoing, editorial oversight. Set standards to inform changes and inspire growth.” – From Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson
- 12. My Interpretation • Know your organization • Know your audience • Know your ecosystem • Know your limits Build a holistic system
- 13. Goal: Deliver RelevantContent My personal goal is deliver relevant content to people (and search engines). I work up the pyramid, developing specific tactics to carry out strategy. Specific Achievable Measurable Findable Useful Usable
- 14. Assumption: Content Has a Life Cycle Create Cut • New Content • Content • New Programs • Navigation • New Navigation • Policies • Roles, Policies, Wor kflows Connect Keep • • Merge In-site links (Revise) • External Links • Content: • Social Media Pages, elements • User generated • Navigation, structur content e • Policies • Policies
- 15.
- 16. Is Design Content’sNemisis? Lorem Ipsum Designer Luke Wroblewski argues that “using dummy content or fake information in the Web design process can result in products with unrealistic assumptions and potentially serious design flaws.” He also explains how these designs usually fail when real content is added. - Death to Lorem Ipsum Karen McGrane Defends Lorem Ipsum http://karenmcgrane.com/2010/01/10/in- defense-of-lorem-ipsum/ Nemisis. Louvre. Marie-Lan Nguyen (2010) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_Neme sis_Louvre_Ma4873.jpg
- 17. Taxonomy & Searchboth require us to prioritize content and how it is displayed
- 18. Content Inventory What Agenda Quantitative Content Strategy The Information School University of Washington
- 19. Content Inventory whatshould be http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333418/Amazon-Christmas-rush-Picture-elves-work-Swansea.html
- 20. Quantitative Inventory • How much • Where is it • What’s it called • Who owns it
- 22. The Bad News • Click by Click • Starting with home page • Pay attention to sections • Have the experience the user does It takes a long time and can hurt your body but you get an unparalleled experience from the user perspective (hint: staff are usually users as well.)
- 23. Are there toolsfor this? • Web Crawlers • Two Monitors • Robots file • Firebug Yes! They can’t do the analysis for you but they can collect data faster so that you can still experience the site just without having to stop and copy/paste. Xenu http://siteorbiter.com/ http://content-insight.com/
- 24. Qualitative: What toAudit Consistent Cluttered Relevant Useful Once you have an inventory, you usually want to then audit the value of the content in an audit. These are general things I look for but audits should always be specific to your context: business goals, audience needs, resources/time available.
- 25. Content Inventory Tells you what’s below the surface. There’s often a world of content underground. Inventories let you scope and adjust timelines. Often a client thinks they have 300 pages but they really have 3000. I use automated tools to find the scope before I start the project and never start an audit without full discussion of expectations. Termite mound close to Maun, Botswana by Discott
- 26. Things I’ve encountered in content inventories,audits and website visits
- 27. Fibber McGee &Molly HALL CLOSETS They don’t want you to open that door!
- 28. by jurvetson SLIME You know it when it hits you
- 29. ImperfectTommy / EdmondMeinfelder TUMBLEWEEDS ain’t nothing to break your fall
- 30. The World ofAudit options is limitless… Try to connect with your user’s psychology & needs Speaks to Intended Audience Facilitates user tasks Recommendations Keywords / Subject Keep/Kill Has Calls to Action Revise Owner / Author Add Date Revised Quality Readability Length SEO Tone Title elements Message Meta description Navigation H1 tags Sub Navigation Title matches content http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brain_scan.jpg Relevancy Content is unique to page Use / Analytics Title element includes keywords Value to IAI Description element includes keywords Value to User
- 31. An inventory andaudit are diagnostic tools! An inventory is not an audit An audit is not a taxonomy A taxonomy is not a miracle cure sidknee23
- 32. There is apurpose and an order Inventory Audit Analysis Decision They aid us in structure and design that • Saves Customer’s Time • Builds Trust and Credibility • Develops Authority • Improves People’s Lives Online
- 33. The battle forIA has just begun We still need to educate • Clients • Project managers • Co-workers • Users • Students
- 34. Finding ways toeducate • Don’t be afraid of repeating yourself • Carry samples • Do it where people can see it • Volunteer • Mentor • Meet Up
- 35. Finding people near& far • Kerry-Anne Giloway @kerry_anne • Rahel Bailie @rahelab • Jonathan Colman @jcolman • Content Insight @content_insight • Kristina Halvorson @halvorson • Karen McGrane @karenmcgrane • LinkedIN, Google Groups
- 36.
Editor's Notes
- #5 Instead of thinking about IA as building a house, consider building a city. Full of traffic, business, art, design, community and people. Seattle is my city.
- #6 Seattle Public Library stands as an example of forward thinking, open design meant for community use.
- #7 We want a little of both, art & architecture, style & use, design & display. The experience music project is both fun and functional.
- #8 We are a bit quirky in Seattle, art crops up under bridges and we like to play.
- #9 So my work is influenced by my education, the city in which I live and what I do now with community. Hosting IA and Content Strategy Meetups and serving on the planning committee of InfoCamp, an annual unconference for User Experience & Library professionals.
- #11 From Explain IA contest http://www.flickr.com/groups/explainia/
- #12 Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson serves as my textbook but it’s not meant to tell you how to do content strategy, more to start a conversation. It’s something you can give your boss to help him or her understand the importance of Content and Strategy.
- #13 Personally, I’m a systems organizer. My modus operandi is about knowing what we want, who it’s for, what’s around us and what are resources are. I aim to build appropriate, sustainable systems.
- #14 My personal goal is deliver relevant content to people (and search engines). I work up the pyramid, developing specific tactics to carry out strategy.
- #15 I believe that all content has a life cycle, it is born, it lives, it dies and we need to build systems that encompass this ‘circle of life’ instead of seeing content as a static object or artifact. There is no content life cycle without governance. Content Strategy itself is a process not product.
- #16 Who’s job is it to conduct a content inventory?
- #17 When we design without content, what kind of issues do we face? When we show clients designs without content, what things can go wrong?
- #18 In dealing with content, we want to make it findable and accessible. This requires structure. We can’t build or apply structure if we don’t know the content.
- #19 Speaking of jelly beans. Most website content looks like this until you have it in order. I wish this was in 3-D to convey the overwhelming tsunami of content that most projects & organizations have.
- #20 Not to mention all the other content that an organization actually generates. You’d much rather an inventory that helps you locate and deliver your content than something that looks more like a vomiting blob.
- #21 The basic inventory.
- #22 Looks like a spreadsheet.
- #23 It takes a long time and can hurt your body but you get an unparalleled experience from the user perspective (hint: staff are usually users as well.)
- #24 Yes! They can’t do the analysis for you but they can collect data faster so that you can still experience the site just without having to stop and copy/paste.
- #25 Once you have an inventory, you usually want to then audit the value of the content in an audit. These are general things I look for but audits should always be specific to your context: business goals, audience needs, resources/time available.
- #28 Overstacked, stuffed and unfindable content black holes to which no one wants to admit ownership. The doors usually come crashing down during the project, leaving you with much more to deal with than originally scoped.
- #29 I see a lot of crap. Cut it. Cut the black hatseo, the meaningless mumbo jumbo and especially things that are creepy, offensive or icky.
- #30 So many sites have no traffic, no community, no conversation. They are arid planes of content no one visits, out of date, useless and lacking life force. Time to water some content seeds.
- #31 Brainwave analysis is only available in Star Trek universe
- #32 Horror Story
- #33 This is when I tell a horror story, it’s a good one, too!
- #34 Sara Mooney story