Introduction to Information Architecture & Design - 6/20/15
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Introduction to Information Architecture & DesignSchool of Visual Arts | June 20, 2015 Robert Stribley
Today’s presentation will be available on SlideShare following the workshop:
www.slideshare.net/stribs
Butterfly on the New York City Highline
Pattern Recognition:
In cognitive psychology, the ability to identify familiar forms within a complex arrangement of sensory stimuli
Intro
Robert Stribley@stribs
• I’m an Associate Experience Director at Razorfish
• I like literature, cinema, music, photography, cycling
• I drink coffee
Introduction
My clients have included:
• Bank of America, PNC, Wachovia• JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley,
Oppenheimer Funds, PNC, Prudential, Smith Barney, T. Rowe Price
• Boston Scientific, Nasonex• Choice Hotels, RCI,
Reaology/Sotheby’s International• Computer Associates, EMC• Ford, Lincoln• FreshDirect• AT&T, Nextel• Day One, Red Cross• Pearson, Travel Channel, Women’s
Wear Daily
Intro
About You
•What’s your name?•What do you do for work?•What do you do for fun?•Coffee, tea or bottled water?
Introduction
Intro
Goals of this workshop
•Understand the basic concepts of information architecture
•Experience the general process and techniques used on a design project
•Review the basic deliverables an information architect develops within a project
Introduction
Agenda
Morning• Background• Design Process• Our Project• User Research• Competitive Review• Personas
• Lunch
Agenda
Agenda
Afternoon• Card Sorting• Site Maps• Page Types• Navigation• Sketching• Wireframes• Q&A
Agenda
Background: History
A Brief History of IA
1975 • Richard Saul Wurman coined the term “information
architecture” to describe the field now more often described as “information design”
1994• Argus Associates founded in Ann Arbor, MI, the
first firm devoted to IA
1998• First edition of Peter Morville and Lou Rosenfeld’s
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, affectionately known as “The Polar Bear” book
2000• First IA Summit, Boston, MA – Defining
Information Architecture
Partially adapted from: “A brief history of information architecture” by Peter Morville and Information Architecture: Designing information environments for purpose, edited by Alan Gilchrist and Barry Mahon
A Brief History of IA
2002• Boxes & Arrows, online journal for information
architects goes live• 3 new books on IA published, including Jesse James
Garrett’s The Elements of User Experience
2014• Capital One purchases Garrett’s UX-consulting firm
Adaptive Path
2015• 15th Annual IA Summit held in Minneapolis, MN, April
22-26
Background: History
Background
in•for•ma•tion ar•chi•tec•ture n.
Background: Defining IA
• The combination of organization, labeling, and navigation schemes within an information system.
• The structural design of an information space to facilitate task completion and intuitive access to content.
• The art and science of structuring and classifying web sites and intranets to help people find and manage information.
• An emerging discipline and community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (1st Edition), p. 4, Rosenfeld and Morville
Navigation
Interaction
Art/Science
Discipline/ Community
Background
“It's hard to say who really is an information architect. In some sense, we all are.”
— Alex Wright, Glut
Background: Defining IA
Design Process
metaphor: architectural plans
Flickr.com: Cornell University Library
Flickr.com: Cornell University Library
Background: Defining IA
UXinformation architecture
Background: User Experience
interaction design
content strategy
usability testing
user research
user experience
Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
• Stakeholder Interviews• Business Requirements• Competitive/Comparative Audit• User Research• Site Inventory• Site Map
Design Process
Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
•Personas•Content Audit•Card Sorts•Use Cases•Sketching•Site Map•User Journeys•Conceptual Wires/Design•Creative Brief•UX Brief
Design Process
Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
• Site Map• Content Matrix• Task Flows• Sketching• Wireframes• Stakeholder Reviews• Visual Design• Prototype• Usability Testing• Functional Specifications
Design Process
Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
• Site Development• User Acceptance
Testing (UAT)• Quality Assurance (QA)• Usability Testing
Design Process
Background
IA Deliverables
site map
features/functionality inventory
comparative/competitive review
requirements document
personas
sketches
use cases
user flows
prototype
wireframes
discover design
experience brief
Deliverables
user journeys
Our Project
Events.com wants to revamp its website to become the go-to online resource for people wanting to attend or promote events across the United States.
Our Project
User Research
“Through research, we aim to learn enough about the business goals, the users, and the information ecology to develop a solid strategy.”
– Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville
Discovery: User Research
User Research
Goals• Identify patterns and trends in user behavior,
tasks, preferences, obstacles.
Methodology• Focus Groups• Surveys• Interviews
Discovery: User Research
User Research
Class Exercise: Survey Questions• How do you learn about events in NYC? • What type of events are you interested in?• What’s more important to you:
– Price – Type of Event– Location– Date
• Do you ever need to promote an event?• Do you ever invite people to an event?
Discovery: User Research
Discovery: Competitive Audit
“This type of assessment helps set an industry ‘marker’ by looking at what the competition is up to, what features and functionalities are standard, and how others have solved the same problems you might be tasked with.”– Dorelle Rabinowitz
Discovery: Competitive Review
Competitive Review
Heuristic Evaluation
… involves evaluators examining the interface and judging its compliance with recognized usability principles (the ‘heuristics’)
- Wikipedia
Discovery: Competitive Review
Self StudyFor a more detailed explanation of heuristic evaluation, see Jakob Nielsen’s Ten Usability Heuristics.
Competitive Review
Sample Usability Criteria
These examples aren’t comprehensive. Appropriate criteria will depend on the project to be completed.
Home Page• Elements are appropriately weighted and distributed• Information is clustered in meaningful ways
Navigation• Navigation structure is concise and consistent• Paths to important information are intuitive and unobstructed
Content• Content is content chunked appropriately• Headings and titles are scannable• Content is current. There are visible indications of content freshness.• Content is properly adapted for the Web. Tone of voice is consistent throughout.
Design• Colors are appropriate for the Web. White space is used appropriately. Text is readable.
Search• Search results are relevant and cleanly presented
Functionality• Functionality and forms are efficiently designed
Messaging• Errors messages are presented in clear language. Help readily available contextually to users• Appropriate channels are provided for user feedback
Discovery: Competitive Review
Competitive Review
Methodology
•Review and analyze competitor sites according to particular criteria
•Draw key findings, which can influence and guide IA through the design phase
•Include a scorecard for high-level comparison of points across all sites
Also: Comparative Reviews
Discovery: Competitive Review
Competitive Review
Key Findings
• Search is fairly prominent on each site
• Filtering on events is valuable, but not always easily available
• Calendars are helpful, but not always prominent
• Profiles and social features common, but handled with varying degrees of detail
• Free events are often highlighted
• Event detail pages may have maps, RSVP, sharing, rating, commenting functionality
• Displaying other venues and restaurants adds utility
• Option to add or promote an event isn’t always prominent
Discovery: Competitive Review
Competitive Review
What else have we learned?
• Who are the audiences of these sites?• What are the strengths of these sites?• What are their weaknesses?• How might another event site differentiate
itself from these sites?
Discovery: Competitive Review
Personas
Created at personas.media.mit.edu
Personas is a component of the Metropath(ologies) exhibit, recently on display at the MIT Museum by the Sociable Media Group from the MIT Media Lab. It uses sophisticated natural language processing and the Internet to create a data portrait of one's aggregated online identity. In short, Personas shows you how the Internet sees you.
Personas
“Personas summarize user research findings and bring that research to life in such a way that everyone can make decisions based on these personas, not based on themselves.” – Steve Mulder, The User Is Always Right
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Personas
Methodology• Cluster Analysis
Goals• Create a narrative
based on real data to illustrate user behavior, motivations, goals
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannerPromoter
Personas
Characteristics of Effective Personas
• Varied and distinct• Detailed• Not weighed down with minutiae• Tied into business-specific goals• Backed by data
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Sabrina, 27The party plannerLocation: Gramercy ParkAttitude: Organized, outgoingFinancial Perspective: Generous, bit of spendthriftOnline Habits: Avid user of social networking sites,
Twitter, Facebook, etcEvents: Wine tastings, gallery openingsQuote: “I love getting bunches of friends together
to attend all these NYC events. There’s so much great stuff to do in this city!”
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannerPromoter
PersonasDefinition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Jerry, 44The out-of-townerLocation:Cincinnati, OHAttitude: Casual, yet adventurousFinancial Perspective: Moderate spenderOnline Habits: Utilitarian use of the Web to research
trips, read about the arts and pay bills
Events: Museums, visiting landmarks, toursQuote: “I’m visiting the Big Apple with my wife
and we want to check out some art-related events.”
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannerPromoter
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Personas
Donny, 38The local comedianLocation: East VillageAttitude: Laidback, loosely organizedFinancial Perspective: Frugal, paycheck to paycheckOnline Habits: Spends time networking, promoting his act
online, haunts comedy sitesEvents: Comedy slams, variety showsQuote: “I land a few comedy gigs around the city
and I want to promote them better.”
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannedPromoter
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Jenny, 33The professional promoterLocation: WilliamsburgAttitude: Busy, disciplined, professionalFinancial Perspective: Healthy budget for promotions andadvertisingOnline Habits: Heavy use of social networking sites both
professionally and personally, shops online
Events: Small gigs, big concerts, DJ setsQuote:“I manage a few bands and DJs and I have
to ensure they’re listed in the right, targeted places.”
Personas
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannedPromoter
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
Class Exercise: Personas
Definition: PersonasDefinition: Personas
• What tasks might each persona attempt to complete on Events.com?
• What features can you imagine each persona might like on such a site?
• What obstacles or pain points might they encounter?
SabrinaJenny DonnyJerry
Self Study”Personas and the Role of Design Documentation" by Andrew Hinton, Boxes and Arrows, 2008/02/27
Agenda
Afternoon
• Card Sorting• Site Maps• Page Types• Navigation• Sketching• Wireframes• Q&A
AgendaAgenda
Card Sorting
“There are often better ways to organize data than the traditional ones that first occur to us. Each organization of the same set of data expresses different attributes and messages. It is also important to experiment, reflect, and choose which organization best communicates our messages.” – Nathan Shedroff, Experience Strategist
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Methodology• Grouping and labeling with index cards, post it notes• Two types:
Open – Participants sort cards with no pre-established categories. Useful for new architecturesClosed – Participants sort cards into predetermined, provided groups. Useful for fitting content into existing architectures
• Online card sorts–WebSort, OptimalSort, Socratic
Goals• Organize content more efficiently• Find names for categories based on users’ perspectives
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Self Study"Card sorting: a definitive guide" by Donna Spencer and Todd Warfel, Boxes and Arrows, 2004/04/07
Case Studies:
• Wachovia Wealth Management Group• American Red Cross• Mercedes Benz
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Class Exercise:
As individuals:
• Take 5 minutes to think of all the events a person could attend
• Write each event you come up with on a Post-It note
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Class Exercise:
Now, as a group:
• Take a few minutes to organize your events into categories (group & label them)
• Then we’ll share some categories
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Characteristics & Findings:
• Looking for redundancies • Lumping and splitting• Outliers and miscellaneous items• Placing items in multiple categories• Categories versus filters
–E.g. Free, Family, Outdoors
• Unique but intuitive labels–E.g. Geeks
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Next Steps:
With the results of a card sort we then can:
• Build consensus• Refine terminology• Create a site map• Help define navigation
Definition: Card SortingDefinition: Card Sorting
Post-It Plus
This new app from 3M allows you to scan your Post-It Notes, organize and share them.
InfoDefinition: Card Sort ToolsDefinition: Card Sort Tools
Conceptual DesignDesign: Site MapsDesign: Site Maps
“A site map is a high level diagram showing the hierarchy of a system. Site maps reflect the information structure, but are not necessarily indicative of the navigation structure.”
- Step Two Designs
Conceptual DesignDesign: Site MapsDesign: Site Maps
Site Map Tools:
• Omnigraffle (Mac)
• Microsoft Visio
• InDesign
Page Types & Templates
The Mercator Atlas of EuropeFrom The British Library
Conceptual Design
Home Page Category Page Details Page
Design: Page Types & Templates Design: Page Types & Templates
Examples:
Navigation
Navigation Bridge, USS Enterprise by Serendigity, Flickr
Grids
Types of Navigation
• Site Structure – major nav
• Hierarchical – product families
• Function – sitemap privacy
• Direct – banner ad/shortcut
• Reference – related links
• Dynamic – search results
• Breadcrumb – location
• Step Navigation – sequence through forms/results
• Faceted Navigation – filters results
Design: NavigationDesign: Navigation
Self Study
Adapted from Atsushi Hasegagwa’s The 7 Navigation Types of Web Sites
GridsDesign: NavigationDesign: Navigation
Areas of Navigation
• Global – universal header/footer
• Local – left nav/right nav
• Local content – text links, buttons
Styles of Navigation
• Rollover
• Dropdown
• Flyout
• Tabs
• Accordion
Self Study
Adapted from Atsushi Hasegagwa’s The 7 Navigation Types of Web Sites
“twttr sketch” Twitter.com
Sketching
Twitter[This sketch] has very special significance – it's hanging in the office somewhere with one other page.
Whenever I'm thinking about something, I really like to take out the yellow notepad and get it down. – Jack Dorsey, Twitter
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Sketching
“There are techniques and processes whereby we can put experience front and center in design. My belief is that the basis for doing so lies in extending the traditional practice of sketching. ”
- Bill Buxton
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Bill BuxtonSketching User Experiences
Bill BuxtonSketching User Experiences
Sketching
Attributes of a Sketch
•Quick
•Timely
• Inexpensive
•Disposable
•Plentiful
•Clear vocabulary
•Distinct gesture
•Minimal detail
•Appropriate degree of refinement
•Suggest & explore rather than confirm
•Ambiguity
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Sketching
Goals• To communicate your ideas effectively by
visualizing them• To benefit from the participation of your
colleagues• To quickly generate ideas and refine through
iterations
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
• Discuss the purpose of the experience you’re sketching
• What’s its purpose?• What features are necessary?• How would you prioritize them?• Who’s the audience?
• You’re not discussing layout or design• Just the problem you’re trying to solve• You’re not sketching yet
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Discuss
Sketch
• Sketch silently• Limit your time – 5,10 minutes• Sketch as much as possible, as many different
ideas as possible• Don’t worry about mistakes or style• Emphasis is on the quantity of ideas, not the
quality of the sketches
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Share
• Review your work with your team• Keep it short – 60 seconds each • You offer your feedback to others
• What you like • Questions about what didn’t work for you• You’re not grilling your colleagues and this
isn’t a competition
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Iterate
• Now sketch again if you need to • Or collaborate on a high-level wireframe (e.g.
via whiteboard)• Then begin your wireframe with a more
informed view, with more and better ideas• Iterate on your design
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Collaborative Sketching
In teams, sketch your ideas.
Event Detail Page1. Take 15 minutes first to discuss what features
belong here
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Collaborative Sketching
In teams, sketch your ideas.
Event Detail Page1. Take 15 minutes first to discuss what features
belong here
2. Time for silent sketching
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Collaborative Sketching
In teams, sketch your ideas.
Event Detail Page1. Take 15 minutes first to discuss what features
belong here
2. Time for silent sketching
3. Time for sharing your sketches
Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching
Sketching Tools:
The following apps are all for the iPad:
• Adobe Ideas (Free)
• Bamboo Paper (Free)
• Muji Notebook ($3.99)
• Penultimate (Free)
• SketchBook (Free)
• Paper (Free)
• Adonit Forge (Free)
InfoDesign: Sketching ToolsDesign: Sketching Tools
Wireframes
“Web site wireframes are blue prints that define a Web page’s content and functionality. They do not convey design – e.g. colors, graphics, or fonts.”- FatPurple
Design: WireframesDesign: Wireframes
Wireframing/Prototyping Tools:
• Adobe InDesign
• Axure
• Omnigraffle (Mac)
• Microsoft Visio
• Sketch/Invision
• Mockingbird (online, free)
Also:
• Balsamiq
• iPlotz
• iMockups (iPad)
• Omnigraffle (iPad)
InfoDesign: Wireframing ToolsDesign: Wireframing Tools
Self Study
Smashing Magazine: 35 Excellent Wireframing Resources
Design: Sketching
Responsive Web Design
“Rather than tailoring disconnected designs to each of an ever-increasing number of web devices, we can treat them as facets of the same experience. We can design for an optimal viewing experience, but embed standards-based technologies into our designs to make them not only more flexible, but more adaptive to the media that renders them. In short, we need to practice responsive web design.” – Ethan Marcotte, Responsive Web Design, A List Apart
Design: Responsive DesignDesign: Responsive Design
Self Study
Ethan Marcotte: Responsive Web Design
Design: Sketching
Responsive Design Characteristics
• Think “mobile first”• The goal: Maintain content and features across devices• Responsive designs adjust at different “break points” corresponding
to the dimensions of various devices, typically desktop, tablet and mobile
• Navigation may be repositioned• Modules may be repositioned but hierarchies are maintained• Images scale down in size or may be cropped• Text size is maintained where possible, though headings may be
reduced in size• Filters may be moved into a dropdown• Occasionally, content or features are dropped to save screen real
estate or if they’re not device appropriate
Design: Responsive DesignDesign: Responsive Design
Design: Sketching
Design a Responsive Home PageIn your teams, create your final deliverable, a responsive home page for Events.com
1) Discuss features needed for a homepage
2) Sketch your ideas for a homepage individually
3) Discuss your sketches again with your team
Design: Final ExerciseDesign: Final Exercise
Design: Final ExerciseDesign: Final Exercise
Home Page CollaborationIn your teams, create your final deliverable, a responsive home page for Events.com
1) Collaborate as a team on a final responsive version of the home page
2) Include a high-level sketch of how the mobile version would display
Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources
Books:
• Information Architecture for the World Wide Web – Louis Rosenfeld, Peter Morville
• Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web – Christina Wodtke, Austin Govella
• The Elements of User Experience – Jesse James Garrett
• Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User Experience – James Kalbach, Aaron Gustafson
• Design of Everyday Things – Donald Norman
• Responsive Web Design – Ethan Marcotte
Local Events:
• IA Meetup
• Brooklyn UX
• Content Strategy Meetup
Web Sites:
• Alertbox
• A List Apart
• Boxes & Arrows
• wireframes.tumblr.com
Organizations:
• Human Computer Interactions (HCI)
• Interaction Designers Association (IxDA)
• Usability Professionals Association (UPA)
Further Studies:
• School of Visual Arts
• Continuing Ed classes
• MFA in Interaction Design
• Pratt – Course in Information Design
• Rosenfeld Media
• General Assembly
• Skillshare
• Adaptive Path
• The Information Architecture Institute
• The IA Summit
• Nielsen Norman Group
• User Interface Engineering
Video:
The Right Way to Wireframe by Russ Unger (YouTube)
Slideshare address:
http://www.slideshare.net/stribs
My article on how to find an IA job:http://blog.onwardsearch.com/2012/08/information-architecture-a-guerilla-guide-to-breaking-in/
@stribs