Information Architecture & Design

Tuesday 6:30–9:30pm SZB 546http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~i385e

A. Fleming Seay

School of Information, Fall 2007

University of Texas

Course Overview

SyllabusRequirements & PreferencesIA & Design ReadingsGroup ProjectsDo’s and Don’tsIA OverviewWhat is IA?Information Architect as a Profession

Syllabus and Topics Overview

Weekly WorkReadings

PrimarySecondary

Class WorkDiscussions in class

Participation is the key to getting something out of this course

Cooperation & Collaboration with others in class

Assignments

DiscussionsClass discussions

PresentationsIA TopicSite design (your final assignment)

IA WorkSmall assignments due every other week

Site critiqueExamine a Web site for information structure, design, navigability, general usability & underlying design technology

Rules for Assignments

Assignments due at the absolute beginning of classDo not be late to class

Late assignments are penalized 20% per 24 hour periodYou are responsible for making sure the assignment is received

E.g. Due at Noon today, turned in tomorrow at Noon = -20%. Turned in a week later = 0.

Arrangements can be agreed upon for known issuesTravel, Serious Illness or Work

Rules for Assignments (continued)

Do not mail attachments to me unless agreed upon

Make assignments Web accessibleWhen required, notify class of your assignment via class listserv

Posting or sent email times count as submission times

For Web pages, DO NOT use MS Word or FrontPage No “Save As…”Learn to use Web markup tools & see the XHTML code

Class Work

Mailing list (listserv) Go to https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/info/inf385e . Log in or create an account Click subscribe in left margin. Follow instructions. To post a message to the mailing list, address your email to: inf385e@utlists.utexas.edu

IA Course Requirements

Use Fundamental IA ToolsHTML EditorsGraphics EditorsSite Mapping ToolsSite Organization Tools

Learn and Use IA MethodologyWork Through the Phases of the IA ProcessCreate and Maintain a Design SpecificationUse Structured Development Techniques

IA Course Preferences

IA TechnologiesHTML, XHTML, XMLJavascript and Databases

Innovative Design using:ContentInterfacesOrganization schemes (“architectures”)

Work on a Real ProjectDeveloping RequirementsDefining and Implementing DesignsDealing with changes & deadlines

Do’s and Don’ts for IA1

Do turn in assignments at the very beginning of class.

Don’t be late for class.

Don’t use Microsoft Word’s “Save As…” feature or FrontPage to build any Web pages.

Do try new Web designs.

Do use Web dev tools you haven’t used before.

Do embrace different aspects of the IA roles.

Introductions

Where are you from?

What program are you in and what year?

How much experience in building pages/sites?

Information Architecture Overview

What is Information Architecture?

What Do Information Architects Do?

Approaches to Information Architecture

Information Architecture Process

Design and Information Architecture

Designers and Information Architects

Information as Product

What is Information Architecture?

Builds on Skills, Methods & History of ArchitectureIA is not just an analogyIA is Process-Oriented

IA is both Art & ScienceBuilt upon Theory (Knowledge & Experiments)Realized in Practice (Skills & Experience)

IA is a Dynamic DisciplineTechnologies are continually changingPeople have accelerating needs & expectations

What defines Info Architectures?

Convey organization & information

Provide a logical, understandable structure for current (& future) information

Seem well-designed (perception)

Provide Just in Time information

Support reference & retrieval

A picture worth a thousand wordsAn architecture to find those 1,000 words & moreNot always a simple picture

DNA is information, now this is IA

This IA is useful too

IA has Density

Communicate structure

Where to goWhere you’ve beenHow much is there

Site Maps

Not just graphics

Tables of contentIndexShelves of BooksList of links

What Do Info Architects Do?

Use Tools and Methods

Apply Experience & Understanding of Users

Manage the IA Process

Roles IncludeApplication DevelopmentContent DevelopmentDesignMISEducationProduct Management

What Do Info Architects Do?

Work through an IA MethodologyPlanAnalyzeDesignConstructVerifyMaintain

Iterate the process

Adapt to technology, information & customer needs

AKA IA?

Experience DesignExperience Modeling (X-Mod)User ModelingUsability EngineeringWebmasterInteraction DesignMultimedia DeveloperInstructional DesignerWeb DeveloperThe Visio job search…

Information Architecture is …

Proactive Strategic for Information SystemsTactical for TechnologiesProfitable for the OrganizationCentral to BusinessApplicable to Any EndeavorNot just Web sitesInformation & Process

FluidIndispensable

IA in Context

Learning

Information Seeking

Information Retrieval

Analytical Strategy

BrowsingStrategy

Information Architecture

Approaches to IA

Mediator of the Design ProcessInterpreter of User Needs and UsesApplying Theory to Practice (Top-Down)Designing & Extending from Examples (Bottom-Up)VisionaryProducer, DirectorArtist or ScientistObjective / Subjective

Project Lead – IA – Designer – Usability - QA

What about Design?

Design as Problem SolvingView of the world as an information spaceImproving the information space

Products that solve these problemsInformation as ProductConnections & Organization as Product

Processes that solve problemsEducation (eLearning)Business Transformation (Web 2.0)

Information Architecture is critical for good Application Design

Design & IA

Creating & managing information

Visualization alone isn’t enough

Users. Content. Context.

Design is an Attitude

View of the world as a problem space

Improving the problem space

Solving problems that no one even knew existed

Creativity put to use

Applying solutions from one domain to another (synthesis)

Designers & Information Architects

Focus on the UsersApply TheoryUnderstand the systemUse tools proficientlyExtend the systemCreate new systemsSolve problems

Our IA Methodology

PlanningAnalysisDesignTechnology IndependentTechnology Dependent

ConstructionVerificationMaintenance

IA Methodology

Analysis Design

Verification Construction Maintenance

Planning

Principles of UI Design & IA

Allow feedback controlExpose the UI functionalityMake functionality clear & distinct

Reduce working memory loadShow progress & context of task

Support experts & novicesLet user select the right interfaceReveal UI & system functionality in phasesAmount of information shown, preferred

What about Visualization & IA?

Interactive GUIs are a good startGraphical views of information can provide an

overviewIs a picture (of an action) worth 1000 words?Is a picture of a dataset worth more?Graphics help with abstraction, how can they

represent specifics?Visual metaphors may be one keyNavigation as a mechanism for interpretation

Types of Visualization Interaction

Windows, Icons, Menus & PointersDesktops, dialogs & formsColors & HighlightingPanning & ZoomingFocus-plus contextMagic Lens, Fisheye lens

Web Categories

Drill down selection in a GUI

Visual Clustering

GUIs are good for users

But let’s not go overboard.“Although intuitively appealing, graphical

overviews of large document spaces have yet to be shown to be useful and understandable for users. In fact, evaluations that have been conducted so far provide negative evidence as to their usefulness.”

Jef Raskin’s Humane Interface

Well architected information makes GUIs better

The information structure(s) should guide the interface

Deliverables for next week

Sign up for the listserv

Course readings & discussion

Tools Tutorials & Review in two weeksUsing your iSchool account (FTP)Visio & OmniGraffleDreamWeaver