Links on Information Architecture

Social Spaces: Lessons from Radical Architects

While Information Architecture took its name from architecture, it took very little else. This is not surprising, as the early days of the web were about making sites that supported the interaction between people and data. The obvious model back then was a library; a library is a space for humans to receive knowledge. But with the rise of social networks, and the integration of community into almost all online experiences, more architecture practices are directly transferable to design. Online spaces are no longer just about findability, but about falling in love, getting your work done, goofing around, reconnecting with old friends, staving off loneliness… humans doing human things.

Posted in Information Architecture, Social Media | Post a comment.

A UX process diagram

A UX process diagram that maps software development life cycle (SDLC) and user centered design (UCD) activities together.

A UX Process diagram

Posted in Information Architecture, UCD, User Research | Post a comment.

In Defense of Lorem Ipsum

If you’re running a project where you mock up designs, get them approved, code them up, build a CMS, hook it all together, and then everyone looks around and says “Who’s got the content? Wait, this content doesn’t match the designs and it won’t fit in the CMS!” then you have a problem. A big problem.

Lorem Ipsum is not the cause of your problem. It’s a symptom. The real problem is an overall process that treats design and content as separate tracks without appropriate communication, collaboration, and checkpoints along the way.

In Defense of Lorem Ipsum

Posted in Content Strategy, Information Architecture, Interaction Design | Post a comment.

Wireframes Magazine

Wireframes Magazine is a collection of UI design techniques and samples by interaction designers and information architects across the globe.

Wireframes Magazine

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Fresh vs. Familiar: How Aggressively to Redesign

Summary
Users hate change, so it’s usually best to stay with a familiar design and evolve it gradually. In the long run, however, incrementalism eventually destroys cohesiveness, calling for a new UI architecture.
Fresh vs. Familiar: How Aggressively to Redesign

Posted in Information Architecture, Interaction Design, User Experience | Tagged | Post a comment.

I ♥ (heart) wireframes

I heart wireframes is a collection of user contributed wireframes.

I ♥ wireframes

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Using Closed Card-Sorting to Evaluate Information Architectures

Abstract
A technique using closed card-sorting to evaluate candidate information architectures for a web site is described. Participants in an online card-sorting study are randomly directed to one of the architectures being evaluated. Each participant is shown the same cards but different categories to sort them into.

The basic data collected is simply which cards each user put into which groups. For any one architecture being tested, the data show what percentage of the participants put each card into each group. A better architecture is one where the participants were more consistent with each other in terms of which groups they put each of the cards into. The basic ’score’ proposed for each card is the percentage associated with the ‘winning’ group (i.e., the group with the highest percentage)—the higher that percentage is, the better. A consistency score for each architecture tested can then be calculated by taking an average of these percentages across all the cards. A technique for correcting this score when the different architectures have different numbers of groups is also described.

Using Closed Card-Sorting to Evaluate Information Architectures (PDF, 86 kb)

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Choosing the Right Search Results Page Layout: Make the Most of Your Width

Page layout forms the foundation in presenting search results. Your layout decisions for search results pages will have tremendous impact on the user experience for your entire site. Choosing the right width for search results is important, and the optimal width for search results may be a great deal narrower than some people using big monitors would believe.

Choosing the Right Search Results Page Layout: Make the Most of Your Width

Posted in Information Architecture, Interaction Design | Tagged | Post a comment.

Card Sorting: Pushing Users Beyond Terminology Matches

Summary
It’s easy to bias study participants, whether in user testing or in card sorting, if they focus on matching stimulus words instead of working on the underlying problem.

Card Sorting: Pushing Users Beyond Terminology Matches

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Information Architecture 101: A crash course for the enterprise architect

Summary
What is information architecture? What roles do information architects play in the enterprise space? Are information architects content experts, usability experts, database administrators (DBAs), Extensible Markup Language (XML) analysts? Or all of the above? How can understanding the concepts behind information architecture help your enterprise project succeed? Take this crash course on information architecture to find out.

Information Architecture 101: A crash course for the enterprise architect- Almost everything you ever wanted to know about information architecture

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