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Paul Jacobs The iSchool University of Maryland Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012

INFM 700: Session 1 What is Information Architecture?. Paul Jacobs The iSchool University of Maryland Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012.

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Paul Jacobs The iSchool University of Maryland Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012

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  1. INFM 700: Session 1What is Information Architecture? Paul Jacobs The iSchool University of Maryland Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 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

  2. Today’s Topics • Overview of course • The architecture analogy • Information architecture: topics and issues • Course administration and logistics Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  3. Information Architecture What is it? (for starters) Architecture – structural design [of web sites] to support function and form Information – organized [electronic] content So our goal is to master the design of web sites for organizations that effectively deliver information to their users Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  4. Information Architecture How can we explore or describe the architecture of a web site? How can we tell a site with good architecture from a site that is not as good? Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  5. Good Information Architecture Users find what they need (e.g., information content) Users get what they need (e.g., a book, a plane reservation, a stock trade) Users learn what they need (e.g., how to install a driver, use a piece of software) Users don’t waste time Users are happy Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  6. Good Information Architecture Organizations have happy users/customers Organizations make money/save money Organizations get their message across Organizations can keep things going and make changes when necessary Organizations are happy Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  7. Bad Information Architecture Users can’t get what they want/need, are confused or frustrated Users go away or go to a competitor’s site Organizations waste/lose money or fail to gain revenues/clients/users Organizations are unhappy We get fired Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  8. Information Architecture: Tools and Techniques (Examples) Understanding the user experience (e.g., user studies, card sorting, search log analysis) Vocabulary and labeling systems Organization/navigation aids and tools (e.g. navigation bars, menus, site index, hierarchies/hypertext, breadcrumbs) Search engines Design tools (e.g., wireframes, blueprints) Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  9. Information Architecture: Business and Process Information architecture strategy Business processes Build vs. buy Team composition and skills Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  10. Information Architecture: Segue • What is it? [from the text] • The structural design of shared information environments • The combination of organization, labeling, search, navigation systems within Web sites and intranets • The art and science of shaping information products and experiences to support usability and findability • An emerging discipline and community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape • Now let’s consider the architecture analogy… Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration from M&R, p. 4

  11. Examples of Architecture… Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration Image source: Wikipedia

  12. Why architecture? • What does designing buildings have to do with designing Web sites? • What is architecture really about? Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  13. The Architecture Analogy • A building must… • Look good • Be usable (for working, living, playing, etc.) • Stand up • A web site must… • Look good • Be usable (e.g., find or get what you need) • Stay up (i.e., not crash, last over a period of years) Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  14. Other Parallels… • Combination of art vs. engineering Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration Florence Cathedral, with dome designed by Brunelleschi Image source: Wikipedia

  15. Other Parallels… • “Pretty” but unusable: • Countless examples…what else? Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration Ray and Maria Stata Center, MIT; designed by Frank Gehry Rhode Island School of Design: http://www.risd.edu/ Image source: Wikipedia

  16. Importance of Metaphors • How is a metaphor different from an analogy? • Reasons to use metaphors in this class • Metaphors describe/shape our thoughts • Anger as heat (see Lakoff and Johnson, Metaphors we Live By) • Political “framing” (e.g., “death tax”, “tax relief”, see Lakoff, Don’t Think of an Elephant) • Why are metaphors so pervasive? • Why are metaphors important in information architecture? Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  17. Metaphors on the Web • Question: What types of metaphors do we need on the web? • Interactive metaphors • “Pull down”, “pop up”, “open” • “Window”, “toolbar” • “Shop”, “check out”, “cart” • 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. Examples of IA

  21. Examples of IA

  22. Examples of IA

  23. Examples of IA

  24. 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

  25. 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

  26. 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

  27. 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

  28. Course Administration and Logistics General expectations Requirements Grading Other Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  29. 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

  30. 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 board Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  31. 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

  32. Major Course Components • Lectures and discussion • In-class exercises • Team presentation • Design projects • Final project • Final exam Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  33. Exam questions/notional example (1) All of the following are key elements of information architecture except: Organizing information on web sites to meet user requirements Writing client-side scripts to accept user input Designing labeling systems that help users find what they need Understanding search engine features and issues Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  34. 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

  35. 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

  36. Focus on Group Work • Why? You rarely work alone in the real world • Three is the best number, but we’ll have groups of 4-5 • 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 excuse Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

  37. Course Logistics • My fifth time offering this course in this format – still making changes, incorporating feedback • Check the course homepage oftenterpconnect.umd.edu/~psjacobs/INFM700s12.htm • Powerpoint slides will be on-line Tuesday (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

  38. 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 server-side (e.g., PHP) technologies, possibly Java • You’ll pick up new technology skills • For the projects, you will build something Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration Figure out if it works Figure out what’s needed Build it Design it

  39. Exercise • Goal: to develop an intuition for IA, good and bad • Compare: • Amazon vs. Barnes and Noble • Evaluate: • How easy was it to find/get what you wanted? • What are some major architectural features/differences of each site? • Any strengths/weaknesses?

  40. Wrap-up What is information architecture? What kinds of things will we learn in the class? How will we work together? What are the requirements and expectations? What should we do for next week? Any other questions? Course overview The archtecture analogy IA topics and issues Courseadministration

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