Information Architecture has everything to do with your theme!
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INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE has everything to do with your theme! Steven Slack . @slacktronic . S2 Web . S2webpress.com
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If you are tasked with putting together a WordPress theme for a client organization or business the theme you select is very important. Perhaps your first inclination is to choose a theme that looks great or let your client choose a theme that they are happy with. This practice however can have negative repercussions for your client. In this talk we will discuss how to appropriately choose a theme or build a theme that supports your clients goals. Using information architecture we can better select themes or build new ones.
Transcript of Information Architecture has everything to do with your theme!
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE has
everything to do with your theme!
Steven Slack . @slacktronic . S2 Web . S2webpress.com
We are talking mainly about custom WordPress projects for businesses and organizations
Each Building serves a different purposeEvery building serves it’s own
purpose
Ok, great … what does this have to do with
websites?
USER NEEDS and
USER EXPERIENCE
Pitfalls into a poor user experience
We decide the direction of the website based on our intuition or preference.
Pitfalls into a poor user experience
We decide the direction of the website based on our intuition or preference.
We let clients direct the design and discovery process.
Pitfalls into a poor user experience
MY AWESOME WEBSITE
→ ENTER ←
It’s NOT about what YOU want
All websites exist within a particular business or organization context.
Information Architecture happens!
What are the goals of the web site?
What are the needs and information seeking behaviors of the audience?
Find the balance:
How do we define IA?
1. The structural design of shared information environments.
2. The combination of organization, labeling, search, and navigation systems within web sites and intranets.
3. The art and science of shaping information products and experiences to support usability and findability.Information Architecture for the World Wide Web - Peter Morville & Louis Rosenfield
How can we use IA to create a better user experience and a more
organized navigation system ?
Discovery
Discovery● Content Inventory● Review of technical/functional requirements
such as third party integrations or other specific functionality needed
● Analytics and user research● Determining target audience● Develop site content organization
WHEN YOU SKIP THE DISCOVERY PHASE
Information Architecture &
WordPress
TaxonomiesCustom Meta DataCustom Post Types
Custom Post Types help us to better organize different content types.
Custom Archive template:
archive-staff.php
What does this do for us?
● Better navigation● More organized● Appropriate assignment of content types
When to use Custom Post Types, Taxonomies, and Custom
Meta● If post types need custom attributes use custom
meta data.
● Taxonomies are good for grouping and categorizing custom content
● When numerous content types are related to a specific thing such as “staff” use a custom post type.
ThemeImplementation
WP tools for better IAMenus:Use this tool to help users move through the site content easily.
WP tools for better IAMenus:Use this tool to help users move through the site content easily.
Categories & Tags:This is a great way to organize your content and make it easier for your users to find what they are looking for.
WP tools for better IAMenus:Use this tool to help users move through the site content easily.
Categories & Tags:This is a great way to organize your content and make it easier for your users to find what they are looking for.
Posts & Pages:Determine what is static content and if you have content that can be archived in reverse chronological order.
WP tools for better IAWidgets:Can provide better site navigation, provide search systems or present the site’s information in a variety of ways.
WP tools for better IAWidgets:Can provide better site navigation, provide search systems or present the site’s information in a variety of ways.
Other important tools:Authors, Date & Time, Comments, 404 pages, Search forms
WP tools for better IAWidgets:Can provide better site navigation, provide search systems or present the site’s information in a variety of ways.
Other important tools:Authors, Date & Time, Comments, 404 pages, Search forms
Add-on features and functionality for better organization →
PluginsE-Commerce
Front-end Registration
Portfolio
Directory
Slider
Advanced Search Shortcodes
Events Calendar
Presentation & Functionality
Generally, when we refer to functionality in WordPress we are speaking of plugins while themes handle the presentation.
Add theme support for plugins
TGM Plugin Activation
The best way to require and recommend plugins for WordPress themes (and other plugins)
tgmpluginactivation.com
Don’t bloat the site with too many
plugins
Many plugins come with a UI with many options that the client or business DOES NOT NEED
This can lead to a poor user experience
Put custom functions into a plugin.
Put custom functions into a plugin.
Data Portability
Even in custom projects we need to think about data portability
Organization & Maintenance
● Portable Plugin● Easier to debug● Separation of concerns
A well organized data structure is good IA
What does the business or organization get out of well organized code?
A more stable environment will save you time on debugging, fixing
problems or moving data, hence saving your client money.
Marketplace themes and Information
Architecture
Too much custom functionality baked into the theme that is not needed
Too many features can create a cluttered and confusing UI
Design for your content
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE has
everything to do with your theme!
Thank YOU!
