Information Architecture

Ross Philip – Principal UX Consultant

(Breakfast Edition)

Good Morning…

What we will cover…

• What is Information Architecture? • Core Tools & Techniques• Applying these approaches• Related Approaches/Methods

Information Architecture

•Definition – “The art and science of organizing and labelling information spaces (including web sites, intranets, mobile apps, and software) to support findability and usability.”

•Categorisation – the grouping / clumping of content

•Labelling – how you label those categories

•Navigation – providing users with a set of paths to help them find way through site, i.e. cross-linking to allow users to easily find information based on their own mental model

•Search – allow the entry of user-defined query and present matching results, with special results highlighted

IA: Where Does Fit in the Design Process?

Iterative processDiscoveryDefinition/Conceptual

DesignIA DesignVisual DesignHandoff-Implementation

Integrated with content development, interaction design, graphic design, usability

The Elements of User Experience, Jesse James Garrett, http://jjg.net

Concept/Plan• Contextual Analysis• User Profiling/Persona

development• User Needs Analysis• IA Analysis

Design• Wireframing• Prototyping• Co-Design Workshops• Competitive Design

Evaluate• Usability Testing• Expert Evaluation• Eye-tracking• Accessibility Audits

Live Support• Customer Surveys• Analytics• A/B Testing• Multi-variate Testing

A User-Centred Design (UCD) process

IA & Findability

• The ‘backbone’ of a website

• Critical for a good user experience

• Navigation labels can be seen as stepping stones Provide ‘Scent of Information’

• Clear ‘scent’ gives users continued confidence

• If not, they either search, give up, or assume the information is not there…

Without a clearly labelled and meaningful IA, much of the work on the presentation and aesthetics will be unsuccessful

How Users Look for Information 1

• Finding known items e.g. What is/who was… Supported by: Search/A –Z

• Exploring – “It’s kind of like this…” Supported by: Concise and meaningful trigger words/related links

• Refining and narrowing – “I want a recipe with smoked salmon in it…” Supported by: Filters/Faceted Navigation

• Comparing Need a good understanding of what criteria are important and

decision making process – tipping point

How Users Look for Information 2

• The broad picture Support: High level overviews

• In detail Broad overview and then increasing detail – layers of information

• Discovering unknown things… “the unknown unknowns” Things you didn’t know existed, but are interested in Related to exploration, research and getting the broader picture Serendipitous finding… “You want X but need Y” or “You want X but need X, Y, Z and A, B and C too” Support: Overviews, Related Links, Effective Trigger words/A-Z

Benefits

• Reduced search times/increased task success • Reduced frustration and increased customer satisfaction • Decreased maintenance costs and longer website lifespan • Better alignment between your business goals and website • Fewer calls to customer service • Better search engine performance • Improved brand value, loyalty and repeat business • Enhanced competitive position

What we will cover…

• What is Information Architecture? • Core Tools & Techniques• Applying these approaches• Related Approaches/Methods

Core Tools & Techniques

• Card Sorting Bottom Up Classification and similarity/proximity Open vs. Closed Exploratory

• Category Testing (Tree Testing) Top Down Browsing and recognition More representative of users looking for information Validation

• Expert Methods Heuristic Evaluation

#1 Card Sorting - Offline

Syncaps/Excel Spreadsheets

Best use: Best approach if time and budget allow (Formative)

Advantages: Thorough, Detailed, Qualitative Feedback, Moderated

Disadvantages: Cost, Time (Collection and Analysis)

+++ Financial Inclusion+++ Homelessness+++ Anti-social Behaviour+++ Managing Tenancies+++ Repairs and Maintenance+++ Allocations and lettings+++ Resident Involvement+++ Equality and Diversity+++ Housing Maintenance+++ CIH Publications+++ Free Downloads+++ Online Bookstore+++ Offline Order Form+++ CIH Research+++ Free Policy Publications+++ CIH policy+++ CIH Practice+++ Consult CIH+++ Conferences+++ Seminars+++ Diary Of Events+++ Housing Events+++ How To Apply+++ Training Courses+++ What's New - Training+++ Specialist Workshops+++ Courses+++ Fees & Funding+++ Special Offers+++ School Leavers+++ CIH Certificates+++ Career Changers+++ Working In Housing+++ NVQ/SVQ+++ Graduates+++ Leadership Programme+++ Professional Qualification+++ Vancies At CIH+++ Vacancies in Housing (Added)+++ UK Membership Fees+++ International Membership Fees+++ Tenant Membership+++ Membership For HR Professionals+++ Membership Progression+++ Apply+++ Check Your Eligibilty+++ Special Routes To Membership+++ Code Of Conduct+++ Benefits+++ Benefits Package+++ Members Directory+++ Manage Your Accounts+++ CIH Who's Who+++ Get Involved In Your CIH+++ Advertising and Sponsorship+++ Your Local CIH Network+++ Directory+++ History+++ Subsidiaries+++ Strategic Partners+++ Structure And Governance+++ Business Plan+++ Your Location+++ Contact Us+++ Useful Links+++ News

Financial Inclusion

Homelessness

Anti-social Behaviour

Managing Tenancies

Repairs and Maintenance

Allocations and lettings

Resident Involvement

Equality and Diversity

Housing Maintenance

CIH Publications

Free Downloads

Online Bookstore

Offline Order Form

CIH Research

Free Policy Publications

CIH policy

CIH Practice

Consult CIH

Conferences

Seminars

Diary Of Events

Housing Events

How To Apply

Training Courses

What's New - Training

Specialist Workshops

CoursesFees & Funding

Special Offers

School Leavers

CIH Certificates

Career Changers

Working In Housing

NVQ/SVQ

Graduates

Leadership Programm

e

Professional Qualification

Vancies At CIH

Vacancies in Housing (Added)

UK Mem

bership Fees

International Mem

bership Fees

Tenant Mem

bership

Mem

bership For HR Professionals

Mem

bership Progression

ApplyCheck Your Eligibilty

Special Routes To Mem

bership

Code Of Conduct

BenefitsBenefits Package

Mem

bers Directory

Manage Your Accounts

CIH Who's W

ho

Get Involved In Your CIH

Advertising and Sponsorship

Your Local CIH Network

Directory

HistorySubsidiaries

Strategic Partners

Structure And Governance

Business Plan

Your Location

Contact Us

Useful Links

NewsStandardized Alignm

ent

Caution - No Instant IA!

#2 – Card Sorting - Online

Websort/Optimal Sort/UserZoom

Best use: Smaller Studies, Limited time and Budget, Back up Offline Studies.

Advantages: Fast, cheap, online access, conducted remotely.

Disadvantages: limited screen space, understanding process, no verbal feedback

Categorisation Exercise Proof

1. Select a specific item / destination2. Offer set of categories where it may be located3. Record success / failure in placing the item4. Reasons for failure - Item name, group label/structure?

Can be tested in a number of ways:- Online – Naviewapp- Offline – Category Testing or through basic wireframes

Leve

l 1

Leve

l 2

Leve

l 3

Leve

l 4

#3 Tree/Category Testing - Offline

Best use: Best Approach if time and budget allow (Validation)

Advantages: Detailed Analysis for each level, Qualitative Feedback.

Disadvantages: Cost, Time (Set-up and Data Collection).

#4 Tree/Category Testing - Online

NaviewApp/Tree Jack/UserZoom

Best use: Quick testing with many users online (Best as backup to Offline).

Advantages: Fast, relatively cheap, online access, conducted remotely.

Disadvantages: Software restrictions, understanding process, no verbal feedback.

#5 Heuristic Evaluations

Best use: Limited time and budget

Advantages: Fast, relatively cheap, expert method, useful for competitive studies

Disadvantages: No user feedback

IA Best Practice Principles – Some Heuristics

• Collocation | Is similar content placed together? Is it easy for users to understand

how different areas are related?

• Differentiation | Is different content placed apart? Do the navigation labels clearly indicate those differences?

• Information scent | Are the labels and headings sufficiently descriptive for users– “What is this/Am I going in the right direction”?

• Scope | Can the user understand the breadth and depth of content on a topic? Can users get a sense of how long their search for information may take?

• Multiple access paths | Users think about content in different ways – does the IA support these different routes to the same content/related content?

• Appropriate structure | Is the organising principle of the site obvious and useful ? Does it match user’s mental models? Does it support differences in information seeking behaviours?

What we will cover…

• What is Information Architecture? • Core Tools & Techniques• Applying these approaches• Related Approaches/Methods

The (Ideal) IA Design Process

User ResearchIdentify Users

Key User JourneysUser Needs

1 - Card SortingOffline Card Sort

Online Card Sort

3 - Category TestingValidate IA

Key User Journeys

Interim IA

2 - IA WorkshopReport & Discuss Card Sort

Results & Interim IAAlignment with content and

domain experts

Consolidated Interim IA

Validated IA

Refined Labels & Grouping

Wireframing Wireframes illustrating IA

and key journeys

The Problem of Large Sites 1

• How to carry out analysis? Potential Challenges

• Lots of content (000’s of lines/items)• Deep hierarchies• Constraints

Card Sort: 100 Cards in an hour/Less Offline Category Testing: 20-25 Topics in 30 mins. Project Time and Budget

The Problem of Large Sites 2

• Solutions Limit Depth e.g. L1-L3 Limit Scope: Exclude lower priority areas and/or focus on

areas supporting user journeys Priority Content and known problem areas Multiple Card Sorts – Lower Levels First Multiple user groups? Focus on content for each group

plus some general – overlap

• Topics selected should ideally be 50-60% of the content at the levels selected for analysis Increasing chance of spurious or invalid results if less.

What we will cover…

• What is Information Architecture? • Core Tools & Techniques• Applying these approaches• Related Approaches/Methods

Some Related Concepts/Methods

• Content Inventory/Audit• Controlled Vocabularies• Faceted Navigation

Content Inventory/Audit Essential groundwork Can be significant Depending on requirements best carried out by client

Preferred term

Employment law

Narrower Terms

Disability discrimination laws, dismissal & notice periods, employee rights, working

hours, equal opportunities …

Broader term

Employing people

Variant term

Employment legislation

Variant term

Work regulations

Hierarchical

Hierarchical

EquivalenceEquivalence

Related term

Wage Board

Related term

Industrial tribunals

Associative Associative

Controlled Vocabulary / ThesaurusCommunications industries UF: Video recording industry UF: Printing industry UF: Publishing industry UF: Sound recording industry UF: Telecommunications industry BT: Business sectors RT: Music RT: Advertising RT: Media and the press RT: Visual arts RT: e-Commerce RT: Films and film making RT: Electronics industry RT: Information and communication

technology RT: Internet RT: Postal services RT: Telephone services RT: Printing and copying services

From IPSVUF = Used For BT = Broader TermRT = Related TermNT = Narrower Term

Faceted Navigation/Search 1

• Traditionally two search models Navigational - based on hierarchical taxonomy Direct search

• Faceted Search/Navigation Elements classified on multiple dimensions Access using multiple filters Filter order flexible – not pre-determined

Faceted Navigation/Search 2

• Info sought has multiple different dimensions Book – Author, Subject, Publisher Now Common in Online Shops

• Simple Classifications Ranganathan’s Colon: 5 facets – Personality, Matter,

Energy, Space & Time Bliss Bibliographic: 13 Facets – including Entity, Property,

Material, Process, Operation, Product

Faceted IA Examples - Comet

Faceted IA Examples – E-bay

Faceted IA Examples – Top Gear Car Chooser

How to make a Faceted IA – Quick Overview

• Domain Sampling - Collect a representative sample of all entities e.g. Books.

• Entity Listing – Break down descriptions, sentences and phrases into basic concepts.

• Facet Creation – Examine concepts and see what high level categories appear across all entities e.g. Publishing Date, Author, Publisher etc.

• Facet Arrangement – What is order (terms within facets)? Test and decide CV.

• Primary Facet – Select.• Revise, Test & Maintain – Terminology changes/New

terminology/Research.

Some Useful Resources

Web Resources:

• IA Institute - http://iainstitute.org/

• Boxes & arrows - http://www.boxesandarrows.com/

• Interaction Design Association - IXDA - http://www.ixda.org/

Eye tracking

Questions?

Ross PhilipPrincipal User Experience Consultant

User Vision55 North Castle Street EdinburghEH2 3QA

T: 0131 225 0853E: ross@uservision.co.uk W: www.uservision.co.uk

Thank You