Information architecture Organizing and categorizing website content
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Information architectureOrganizing and categorizing website content
5 Basic steps1. Content inventory2. Establishing a hierarchical outline3. Chunking4. Drawing diagrams5. Analysis through testing
Content inventory
• Detailed listing of all content in the site• Major database for all the pages• Usually tabulated in spreadsheets
The Content inventory sheet
1. Unique ID number2. Page title3. Page template or type4. URL5. General type of content6. Person responsible for content7. Keep/revise/discard decisions8. Create content?9. Review status
From the Web Style Guide 3rd Ed. (2009)
Hierarchical outline
• Ranking the importance of each piece of information
• From broad overviews to specific submenus• Taxonomy: use of descriptive terms• Controlled vocabulary
Five hat racksto organize information
1. Category2. Time3. Location4. Alphabetic5. Continuum
From Information Anxiety (1989): Wurman, R.
Other strategies
• Brainstorming• Card sorting• White-board sessions• Paradigm-setting
Common site organizations
• Identity• Navigation• Novelty• Org chart• Service• Flashy• Tool-oriented
CHUNKING INFORMATION
• Modular chunks• Logically organized• Convenient for readers
SITE STRUCTURE
• Organization of pages• The users predict on where to find things• Leading through logic, consistency and
familiarity
Confusing mental models
Browsing functionality
STRUCTURAL THEMES
• Sequences• Hierarchies• Webs
SEQUENCES
hierarchies
WEBS
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