INFM 700: Session 1 What is Information Architecture? Paul Jacobs The iSchool University of Maryland Monday, August 31, 2009 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United St See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ for details
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INFM 700: Session 1
What is Information Architecture?
Paul JacobsThe iSchoolUniversity of Maryland
Monday, August 31, 2009
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United StatesSee http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ for details
Navigational metaphors “Browse”, “surf” “Table of contents”, “site index”
Are metaphors consistent? Do we all apply the same metaphors?
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
The Architecture Analogy: Summary The analogy is helpful
…in explaining information architecture to friends and family
…in understanding and analyzing IA concepts …in applying IA concepts to web design
Like all analogies, it goes only so far Web sites are not buildings
Consider the role of analogy and metaphor in any user-centered software activity
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Information Architecture: Topics and Issues Key concepts of information architecture
Organizing content (e.g., labeling, hierarchies)
Search systems
Technologies, tools and techniques
Business issues
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Examples of IA
iSchool
Examples of IA
iSchool
Examples of IA
iSchool
Examples of IA
iSchool
IA just for the Web? The Web is a great vehicle for illustrating IA
principles
The Web is evolving: Web 1.0: Web as a hypertext system Web 2.0: Web as a software interface Web 3.0: ??
Think of it simply as a platform: Plain-old websites Large corporate intranets Mail client Productivity applications …
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Why IA is vaguely defined IA is multi-disciplinary
IA is as much an art as it is a science
IA is “messy”
IA lacks an underpinning theory
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Overlapping Disciplines Library and information science
Computer Science Human-Computer Interaction Information Retrieval Databases Software Engineering
Graphics design
Cognitive psychology
“User experience engineering”
…
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
What is Clear? The Objective (good web sites)
The Focus (delivering information content)
The Methods
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Course Administration and Logistics General expectations
Requirements
Grading
Other
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
What you can expect from me Practical focus
If it’s not useful, we won’t worry about it too much Emphasis on concepts Consideration for how it’s done in the “real world”
Desire that everyone should succeed Set clear and concrete objectives where possible Work together to learn/to achieve goals No “easy way out” Listen and respond to questions/objections, flexibility
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
What I expect from you Preparation
Do readings Turn in work on time “Fill in the blanks”
Participation Ask when things are unclear Give examples/tell stories Help with programmatics
Honesty across the boardCourse overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
My Teaching Philosophy Emphasis on users
… but with a grounding in technology
Emphasis on synthesis … not rote learning
Emphasis on projects … mirroring real-life case studies
Emphasis on group work … but individual competence must be demonstrated
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Major Course Components Lectures and discussion
In-class exercises
Team presentation
Design projects
Final project
Final examCourse overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Exam questions/notional example (1) All of the following are key elements of
information architecture except:
(a) Organizing information on web sites to meet user requirements
(b) Writing client-side scripts to accept user input
(c) Designing labeling systems that help users find what they need
(d) Understanding search engine features and issues
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Exam questions/notional example (2) Match the concepts on the left with descriptions
on the right:Top-down analysis Organizing information according to
concepts in a “tree” from the general to the specific
Tagging Organizing information by starting with an expectation of what’s important or needed
Taxonomy A network of terminology and/or concepts that captures associations and
relationships among words, phrases, or ideas
Thesaurus Assigning “meta-data” labels to information content to make it easier to organize, understand, or find
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Course Themes Design
Principles of information architecture
Technology Constraints on what is possible How to do it, building on what’s available
Processes Figuring out what to build Actually building it Figuring out if you’ve done it right
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Focus on Group Work Why? You rarely work alone in the real world
Three is the best number
Advice: Coordination takes more effort than you expect Plan first Take advantage of individual strengths Use collaborative technologies: don’t let distance be a
hindrance or excuseCourse overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Course Logistics Third time this course has been offered (my second) – still
making changes, incorporating feedback
Check the course homepage oftenterpconnect.umd.edu/~psjacobs/INFM700_f09.htm
Lecture slides will be on-line Monday morning (at the latest)
Typical class structure 1.5 hour session Short break Logistics/administration One hour session
Email me: I’m available by appointment
Course overview
The archtecture analogy
IA topics and issues
Courseadministration
iSchool
Technology: Assumptions I assume you already know
Basic HTML/CSS and tools (e.g., Dreamweaver, Flash) How to put up a Web site (FTP, etc.) Database fundamentals Basics of client-side (e.g., HTML and Javascript) and