information architecture heuristics

Does it have legs? Information Architecture Heuristics for Interaction Designers!

!presented by: !

Abby Covert @Abby_The_IA

What do you want in a critique?!

Non Designers: want a !healthy and non opinion-driven conversation with designers.!!They are trying to avoid: !Opinions being seen as rulings, having a lack of direction on what feedback to give and when!

<Type> Designers: want to spark new insights when reviewing their work alone or with others.!!They are trying to avoid: !Blank stares, not knowing where !to start, taking coffee breaks to avoid critiquing !

But when critiquing work: What we really want to know is

“Does it have legs?” !•  Is it stable enough to support the weight of use?!•  Will it be effective in execution?!•  Will it stand on itʼs own?!!A good place to start when answering these questions is

Evaluating it against heuristic principles.!

What is a heuristic?!

“best practices”!

“rules of thumb”!

“common sense”!“intuitive judgments”!

What is NOT a heuristic?!

Patterns & Anti-Patterns!

Case Studies!

Templates!Stencils!

We use heuristics to…!

•  Evaluate the strength and quality of what is currently offered to users!

•  Facilitate critique during planning, design and development!

•  Predict the effectiveness of a potential solution!

Existing Sources for Heuristics

•  Five sources •  Over Fifty principles •  Lots of overlap

•  Easy to learn •  Easy to Teach •  Easy to Implement

across contexts, teams and Channels

Result: My Proposed 9 Principles from 50!

? 1 wildcard  

REMINDERS– The rules of heuristic use!

1.  Put on your user shoes: Forget where you work and what your job is. !

2.  Put on your user goggles: None of these principles matter without understanding the context of use and who your users are. !

3.  Say “I am not my user”: Never use heuristic review as a replacement for user research.!

!

#1 Findable

Able to be located.

#1 Is it Findable?

q  Can users easily locate that which they are seeking? !

q  How is findability affected across channels and devices?!

q  Are there multiple ways available to access things?!

q  How do external and internal search engines “see” what is provided?!

q  Is information formatted with results in mind? !

q  What is provided to make the delivered results more useful?  

#2 Accessible

Easily approached and/or entered

#2 Is it Accessible?

q  Can it be used via all expected channels and devices?!

q  How resilient and consistent is it when used via “other” channels? !

q  Does it meet the levels of accessibility compliance to be considerate of those users with disabilities*!

!!

Be aware that upwards of 20% or more of the worldʼs population has a disability. !!The internet is a public place. Itʼs like building a ramp to your building, or refusing to. !!</soapbox>!

#3 Clear

Easily perceptible

#3 Is it Clear?

q  Is it easy to understand?!q  Is the target demographicsʼ grade

and reading level being considered?!q  Is the path to task completion

obvious and free of distraction?!q  Would a user find it easy to describe?!!!

TOP 3 Clarity Offenses

•  Corporate underpants: When you are obviously making a navigational decision based on your organizational structure, not user decision paths.!

•  Inside Baseball: When you are calling something a term that is unclear to anyone that doesnʼt work for your company. !

!•  Weasel Words: When you are being purposefully

unclear in language to avoid making a promise or decision about process or commitment to a user.!

#4 communicative

Talkative, informing, timely

#4 Is it communicative?

q  Is the status, location and permissions of the user obvious?!

q  How is messaging used throughout?Is messaging effective for the tasks and contexts being supported?!

q  Does the navigation and messaging help establish a sense of place that is consistent and orienting across channels, contexts and tasks?!

!

#5 Useful

Capable of producing the desired or intended result

#5 Is it Useful?

q  Is it usable? Are users able to complete the tasks that they set out to without massive frustration or abandon?!

q  Does it serve new users as well as loyal users in ways that satisfy their needs uniquely?!

q  Are there a few navigation options that lead where users may want to go next? Are they clearly labeled?!

#6 Credible

Worthy of confidence, reliable

#6 Is it Credible?

q  Is the design appropriate to the context of use and audience?!

q  Is your content updated in a timely manner? !

q  Do you use restraint with promotional content?!

q  Is it easy to contact a real person?!q  Is it easy to verify your credentials?!q  Do you have help/support content

where it is needed? Especially important when asking for sensitive personal data.!

#7 Controllable

Able to adjust to a requirement

#7 Is it Controllable?

q  Are tasks and information a user would reasonably want to accomplish available?!

q  How well are errors anticipated and eliminated?!

q  When errors do occur, how easily can a user recover?!

q  Are features offered to allow the user to tailor information or functionality to their context?!

q  Are exits and other important controls clearly marked?!

#8 Valuable

Of great use, service and importance

#8 Is it Valuable?

q  Is it desirable to the target user? !q  Does it maintain conformity with

expectations throughout the interaction across channels? !

q  Can a user easily describe the value?!q  How is success being measured? Does

it contribute to the bottom line?!q  Does it improve customer satisfaction?!

#9 Learnable

To fix in the mind, in the memory

#9 Is it Learnable?

q  Can it be grasped quickly?!q  What is offered to ease the more

complicated processes?!q  Is it memorable?!q  Is it easy to recount?!q  Does it behave consistently enough to be

predictable?!

#10 Delightful

Greatly pleasing

#10 Is it Delightful?

q  What are your differentiators from other similar experiences or competitors?!

q  What cross channel ties can be explored that delight? !

q  How are user expectations not just met but exceeded?!

q  What are you providing that is unexpected?!

q  What can you take that is now ordinary and make extraordinary?!

10 Heuristic IA Principles

How to Implement Heuristics where you work...

q  Teach this content to your organization – not just the designers (you can even use this deck)!

q  Heuristically review where you are today!q  Set baseline scores and identify principles you

want to see improvement on (and by when)!q  Start using this as the consistent language

when critiquing work!q  Bring these questions as thought starters to

your critiques!

thank you •  For listening!•  For caring!•  For making the internet a better place!!

Twitter: @Abby_The_IA!Email: abby@understandinggroup.com!

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