1.
Information Wayfinding
BY TYLE R TATE

2.
We are drowning in
information.

3.
“What information consumes is rather obvious:
it consumes the attention of its recipients.
Hence a wealth of information creates a
poverty of attention, and a need to allocate
that attention efficiently among the over-
abundance of information sources that might
consume it.”
— Herbert Simon

4.
How can we make ever-growing volumes
of information accessible and useful to
people without overwhelming them?

5.
1. Think of information as an environment.
2. Understand how people find their way through such
information environments.
3. Design for efficient wayfinding.

6.
The Information
Environment
1

7.
"Mankind evolved in a world of space and
time. Our memories evolved to record events
that transpire in space and time. Modern
attempts to externalise and enlarge that
memory should not, and probably need not,
neglect its spatiotemporal dimensions.”
— George A. Miller, 1968

8.
“We must consider not just the city as a thing
itself, but the city being perceived by its
inhabitants.”
— Kevin Lynch

9.
Paths
Edges
Districts
Nodes
Landmarks

10.
The Environment
A place someone goes to seek information in order
to satisfy an information need.

11.
Districts
Layers
Nodes

12.
Districts
The primary categories into which an environment
can be logically divided.

13.
Layers
Secondary categories which describe a specific
facet of a given node.

14.
Nodes
Precise points in the environment (that we might
otherwise refer to as a Web page, document, or record).

15.
Wayfinding Behaviour2

16.
Wayfinding is the collection of cognitive
processes people use to navigate physical
environments.

17.
Information wayfinding is the collection of
cognitive processes people use to navigate
information environments.

18.
Locate

19.
Explore

20.
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5 Q6
Q7

21.
Meander

22.
1. Locate
2. Explore
3. Meander

23.
Principles for a New
Architecture
3

24.
Structured Districts

25.
Flexible Layers

26.
Positional Cues

27.
Survey Knowledge

28.
Clear Paths

29.
Coherent Interaction

30.
1. Structured Districts
2. Flexible Layers
3. Positional Cues
4. Survey Knowledge
5. Clear Paths
6. Coherent Interaction

31.
How can we make ever-growing volumes
of information accessible and useful to
people without overwhelming them?

32.
1. Think of information as an environment, not pages.
2. Understand how users find their way through such
information environments.
3. Design for efficient wayfinding, particularly by
integrating search and browse.

33.
DesigningTheSearchExperience.com
twigkit.com/blog
vimeo.com/78578346
@TylerTate

34.
Information Wayfinding
BY TYLE R TATE