ICM 451: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Mazwani Ayu Mazlan
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Definition:
✓information architecture primarily in terms of content-
heavy websites and intranets, and use a lot of examples
from websites.
✓information architecture is about understanding and
conveying the big picture of a web site.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
✓The information architects focus on the design of
organization, indexing, labeling, and navigation
systems to support browsing and searching
throughout the web site
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
✓Information Architect:
1) the individual who organizes the patterns inherent
in data, making the complex clear;
2) a person who creates the structure or map of
information which allows others to find their
personal paths to knowledge;
3) the emerging 21st century professional occupation
addressing the needs of the age focused upon clarity,
human understanding and the science of the
organization of information.
(Richard Saul Wurman, 1996)
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
what do they do?
Of course, they will be primarily responsible for designing:
✓The IA: The overall structure of the site, groups, sub-
groups and labels
✓Navigation: Navigation bars, links and other ways of
getting people to information (e.g. A-Z indexes, search)
✓Documentation: Writing it all down (or communicating it
in another way) so it can be built.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
They may also be involved in:
✓User research: Understanding what information people
need, how they may approach it, and how they think
about groups and concepts
✓Usability testing: Making sure the IA, navigation and
other aspects of the project actually work for people
Cont...
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
✓Other interface and interaction design, such as the
interfaces for web-based applications
✓Creating prototypes for communication and testing.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
And depending on the project, they may be involved in:
✓identifying site strategy and goals
✓content writing
✓search engine optimization (SEO) (This is coming up in
more and more job descriptions as people realize IA can
have a big impact on SEO)
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Why IA is important?
✓Whenever we create groups and describe things other
people need to use, the information architecture (how
things are grouped and labeled) directly affects how easy
things are to use.
✓can do more than just help people and objects and
information. It can empower people by making it easier
for them to learn and make better decisions.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
What you need to create a good information architecture
You need to understand three very important things before you can
design an IA that works really well:
• People: What they need do to, how they think and what they
already know
•Content: What you have, what you should have and what you need
• Context: The business or personal goals for the site, who else will
be involved and what your constraints are
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
IA is all about meeting the needs of people, content and context
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
The Role of the Information Architect
[Link] the mission and vision for the site, balancing
the needs of its sponsoring organization and the needs
of its audiences.
[Link] what content and functionality the site
will contain.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
4. Specifies how users will find information in the site
by defining its organization, navigation, labeling,
and searching systems.
[Link] out how the site will accommodate change
and growth over time.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Who Should Be the Information Architect?
✓ someone who can think as an outsider and be sensitive to
the needs of the site's users, and at the same time is enough
of
✓ an insider to understand the site's sponsoring organization,
its mission, goals, content, audiences, and inner workings.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Disciplinary Background
Since information architecture is a relatively new field, you
can't just post a job description and expect a flock of
interested, competent, and experienced candidates to
show up on your doorstep. Instead, you'll need to actively
recruit, outsource, or perhaps become the information
architect for your site. If you are looking for someone else,
you might consider the disciplines listed below as potential
sources.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
✓Graphic design
It is geared more toward creating relationships between
visual elements and determining their effective
integration as a whole.
✓Information and library science
Librarians deal with organization of and access to
information within information systems and are trained
to work with searching, browsing, and indexing
technologies.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
✓Journalism
Because of their writing experience, journalists are also
good candidates for architecting sites that will have high
levels of edited content.
✓Usability engineering
Usability engineering is probably the most scientific in its
view of users and the quality of their experiences with
information systems.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
✓Marketing
Marketing expertise can ensure that the message is
presented in a user-oriented manner and not buried in
organizational jargon
✓Computer science
Computer scientists have the best skills for modeling
content for inclusion in a database.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Collaboration and Communication
Increasingly, webmasters and their employers began to
realize that the successful design and production of complex
web sites requires an interdisciplinary team approach. An
individual cannot be an expert in all facets of the process.
Rather, a team of individuals with complementary areas of
expertise must work together. The composition of this team
will vary, depending upon the needs of a particular project,
available budget, and the availability of expertise.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
However, most projects will require expertise in marketing,
information architecture, graphic design, writing and editing,
programming, and project management.
Marketing
✓ The marketing team focuses on the intended purposes and
audiences for the web site. They must understand what will
bring the right people to the web site and what will bring them
back again.
Information Architecture
✓ The information architects focus on the design of organization,
indexing, labeling, and navigation systems to support
browsing and searching throughout the web site. 21
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Graphic Design
✓The designers are responsible for the graphic design and
page layout that defines the graphic identity or look of the
web site. They strive to create and implement a design
philosophy that balances form and function.
Editorial
✓Editors focus on the use of language throughout the web
site. Their tasks may involve proofreading and editing
copy, massaging content to ensure a common voice for
the site, and creating new copy.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Technical
✓The technical designers and programmers are responsible
for server administration and the development or
integration of site production tools and web site
applications. They advise the other teams regarding
technology-related opportunities and limitations.
Project Management
✓The project manager keeps the project on schedule and
within budget. He or she facilitates communication between
the other teams and the clients or internal stakeholders.
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
The Skills should included in IA
The skills that help most with IA work include:
✓Empathy with people
✓Language
✓Synthesis, strategy & detail
✓Communication
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