Pervasive Information Architecture and Ambient Findability

REDTEAM

PERVASIVEINFORMATION

ARCHITECTURE&AMBIENTFINDABILI

TY

REDTEAM

REDTEAMREDTEAM

introduction!

REDTEAM

Run of the show5 mins x 7 presenters

1 surprise check (!)

1 in-class activity

REDTEAM

Order of things

Introduction*

What is it?

What’s new?

How’s it done?

Activity

Discussion of the activity

Conclusion

REDTEAM

What to pay attention to?

Another dimension to IA – Channels

Cross-channel heuristics for IA

Place-making

Consistency

Resilience

Reduction

Correlation

The CHUbe - channel–heuristics–user tasks cube

REDTEAM

If nothing else…Pervasive IA & Findability

Integrating multiple, separate interactions into one seamless flow, thereby affording multiple ways to access information

Quality of locating information across channels and environments

Why Should You Care?

Experiences are increasingly becoming cross-channel (hybrid) in nature

‘Everyware’ is here to stay: users expect information to be available regardless of their situation (e.g., the activity)

REDTEAMREDTEAM

Ambient findability? Pervasive information architecture? …What ARE they?!

REDTEAM

About Pervasive IAMove from separate channels to cross-

channel

Big picture requires all channels

Multiple, separated interactions become one seamless flow

REDTEAM

About Ambient FindabilityFindability: quality of being findable

Ambient Findability: quality of being findable across channels and environments

REDTEAM

Example, please.Meijer shopping experience:

websiteemailsocial mediamobile appbrick-and-mortar store

Why is interaction seamless? Same IA is deployed across different channels

REDTEAM

Why do we care?This is how things are!

Trend = more channels

Good PIA avoids frustrating experiences

REDTEAM

REDTEAM

Why do we care?Old IA deals with websites only

Things have changed:Companies sell services and experiencesUsers become intermediariesExperience is hybrid

Ease of use is not enough, people are shielding off painful information

REDTEAMREDTEAM

How is pervasive information architecture different and better?

REDTEAM

How is PIA different?

• It bridges the gap between the physical and digital.

• It’s not just about labels, taxonomies or websites. Now, it’s about working with info to shape meaning and purpose over many domains.

REDTEAM

How is PIA different?

“

We IAs have to have a little more Wurman in our pockets and move beyond the Polar Bear book.

”

REDTEAM

How is PIA better?

• Information architectures become ecosystems.

• Users become intermediaries.

• Static becomes dynamic.

• Product design becomes experience design across different media.

REDTEAMREDTEAM

More about PIA heuristics (directions, not directives!)

REDTEAM

PIA Heuristic 1: Place-making

Capability of Pervasive Information Architecture to reduce disorientation and increase legibility

• Reduce confusion

• Build a sense of place

• Increase wayfinding across environments

REDTEAM

REDTEAM

PIA Heuristic 2: Consistency

Capability of PIA to provide and sustain internal and external, in-context, on-task coherence

• To suit the purposes, contexts and people it is designed for

• To maintain the same logic along different media, environments and times in which it acts

REDTEAMFlipping image: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/23/flip-book-makes-a-virtual_n_473869.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/23/flip-book-makes-a-virtual_n_473869.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/23/flip-book-makes-a-virtual_n_473869.html

REDTEAM

REDTEAM

PIA Heuristic 3: Resilience

Capability of PIA models to shape and adapt themselves to specific user needs and seeking strategies

• Support users in different contexts/places/times

• Support different seeking strategies• Active or passive• Direct or indirect• Conscious or latent

REDTEAM

REDTEAM

REDTEAM

PIA Heuristic 4: Reduction

The capability of PIA to minimize the cognitive load and frustration associated with choosing from vast information sources, services, and goods.

• Does NOT reduce options

• Organize and cluster

• Focus and Magnify

REDTEAM

REDTEAM

emily luke

any way to make this image higher resolution?

REDTEAM

PIA Heuristic 5: Correlation

Capability of PIA to suggest relevant connections among pieces of information, services, and goods to help users achieve explicit goal.

• Creates continuity and discovery within one channel AND across channels

REDTEAM

REDTEAMREDTEAM

How to apply pervasive information architecture…

REDTEAM

I. Overview

REDTEAM

Understanding Applied Pervasive IA

• 2-D IA• Vertical axis= hierarchical relationship• Horizontal axis = semantic and contiguity relationships

REDTEAM

What Makes Pervasive IA “Pervasive”?

• Moving to 3-D and even 4-D IA• Third axis = multiple channels• Time is the fourth dimension

REDTEAM

What is the Recipe for Pervasive IA?

REDTEAM


• There isn’t one. Sry :P

REDTEAM


• But don’t worry…

REDTEAM

II. Methodology

REDTEAM

Step1: Identify the Channels

• Four common channels• Paper: hard-copy, physical materials.• Store: encompasses an area that requires way-finding

and physical movement for search.• Web: an interface on a stable platform (e.g. laptop)• Mobile: communication using mobile devices (e.g.

iPad, cell phone)

This is pervasive!

REDTEAM

Step 2: List Heuristics + User Tasks

• Heuristicso Place-makingo Consistencyo Resilienceo Reductiono Correlation

• User Tasks o Pieces of a scenario broken down into separate tasks

REDTEAM

Step 3: Visualize

• Visualize in 2-D

REDTEAM

Step 3: Visualize

• Visualize in 3-D: the CHUbe

REDTEAM

Step 3: Visualize

• Visualize in 3-D: the CHUbe• Why are there squares

missing?

REDTEAM

Step 3: Visualize

• Visualize in 3-D: the CHUbe• Why are there squares

missing?o Heuristic not relevant…

− in the channel − To the user task− or does not exist in that channel

REDTEAM

III. Example

REDTEAM

How is it pervasive?

REDTEAM

Step 1: What channels are involved?

• Store: The store itself• Paper: Weekly flyer of special offers• Web: Receiving emails about upcoming sales at the store,

browsing their online website• Mobile: Using specific applications to browse through

items, look up coupons

REDTEAM

Step 2: What task flows are involved?

Necessary for creating seamless user experience of grocery shopping!

REDTEAM

Step 2: What task flows are involved?

Necessary for creating seamless user experience of grocery shopping!

1. Getting information about current products and offers

2. Building a shopping list

3. Getting to the supermarket

4. Parking the car

5. Fetching a cart

6. Navigating the shop

7. Finding products

8. Queuing and paying

REDTEAM

Step 3: Identify Heuristics Involved

Heuristic: Place-making• How do we make them feel at home?• How could we help in way-finding?

REDTEAM


Place-makingStore• Color codes• Addressing

different users

Print• Respecting

color codes• Product

placement

Web• Translate

physical layout to IA

• Use of established labels, etc

Mobile• In-store

navigation• Color codes• Premade

paths• Contextual

information

REDTEAM


Heuristic: Consistency• Internal consistency:

o Capability to provide coherent in-channel experienceo Adopting the right classification systemo Example: “Mixed” classification model:

− 1st level: hierarchical model− 2nd level: faceted model

o Considering different styles of searching and different shopping behaviors

• External consistency:o Creates smooth transition from one channel to anothero Using same color codes, labels for mobile devices, store, web site

REDTEAM


Heuristic: Consistency• These allow us to address several mental models

simultaneously• In the supermarket…

o Supporting consistent logic within the supermarketo Using a mobile app to inform physical wayfinding

REDTEAM


Heuristic: Resilience• Main Idea: Reshape places in real-time

o How do we allow different paths?o Encourage berry-picking: “Relevant [information] tends to be

scattered, [and] users move fluidly between search and browse modes, relying on strategies including footnote chasing, area scanning, and citation, subject and author searching” (AF p.59).

REDTEAM


ResilienceStore• More than

one path• Allow

shortcuts

Print Web• Customize

experience• Store user

preferences

Mobile• Provide

histories• Suggest

missing products

REDTEAM


Heuristic: Reduction• “A set of strategies to address such an issue and has

nothing to do with getting rid of choices: reduction is an organizational and presentational guideline”

• Focus and zoom:o reduces the paradox of choiceo Directs attention to only a small subset of choices

• Magnify:o View details after selecting choiceo Reduces cognitive load

REDTEAM


ReductionStore• Use meaningful

clusters

Print• Relevant

information only• Link to other

channels for additional info

Web• Provide full

catalog but offer information in context

Mobile• Mobile moves

with the customer

• No need to include “currently unavailable” items

REDTEAM


Heuristic: Correlation

Who does it?• Top-down (information architects)

• Correlations between items of same facet• Bottom-up (users) :

• “If you like a and b, we suggest c”

Where is it?• Internal

• Paths for vegan food• Correlation between customers

• External• Searching for an item online and finding it in the supermarket

REDTEAM

Step 4: Visualize the Info Architecture

Create a CHU Table

REDTEAM

Step 4: Visualize the Info Architecture

REDTEAM

Activity Time!

REDTEAM

First…Raise them hands! Count off, 1 through 5!

REDTEAM

TaskImagine that you were hired to make tourist experiences for a city with monsters at its edge of town. These monsters were dangerous and sometimes killed people, but the townspeople have learned to live with them and now want to use this as their main tourist attraction.

Design cross-channel experiences while taking the “Place-making” heuristic into consideration.

You have 20 minutes. Go!

REDTEAM

ConclusionWe’ve said a lot…Let’s just make sure that you’ve got it.

REDTEAM

So, What’d We Do Here? Introduction

What is it?

What’s new?

How is it done?

How is it done even better?

You did it!

Discussion

Conclusion

REDTEAM

Key TakeawaysPervasive IA & Findability: What?

Why Should You Care?

IT’S THE FUTURE…

REDTEAM

Q & AAny questions?

REDTEAM

Thank You!