Information Architecture & Design Week 7 Schedule - Design Critiques due Now - Metaphors, Graphics and Labels - Other Readings - Research Topic Presentations - Group Work – Label Sorting

Labeling Systems Design Labels are More Than Link Descriptors Convey the Structure and Purpose of the Web Site Describe in the Language of the (Analyzed) User(s) (But Not All Jargon) Differentiate Each Topic Imply Hierarchy - News – Tech News – Computing News – Macintosh News Nouns and Verbs (Mixed & Consistency) Reading Behavior

Varieties of Label Designs Contextual Links Headings - Text - Narrative Help Navigation System Choices - Toolbars & Navigation Bars - Application Functionality Index Terms - Searching (Results) - Browsing Graphics (Iconic) - Maps - Images Subject Lines Rosenfeld p 80

Labels in Use (Affecting Design) A-Z Indexes (“Term Rotate” and Flatten) Thesaurus of Labels (and Relationships) Narrowing the Possibilities of Use Examine All the Labels at End of Tech-Independent Design Consistent with Headings and Bookmark Uniqueness Work With Your Content (Content Analysis – Use Search & Evaluate Results) Card Sorting to Determine Structure and Metaphors/Themes Dates, Times, Sizes, Rankings & Categories Too

Well-Designed Labels… Go Unnoticed Use Size and Color for HierarchyHierarchy Follow Consistent Graphical & Textual Representation Describe and are Parallel to Other Labels Metaphorically Correct Use Rollover Text Communicates Part of the Structure of the Site (The Name of the Label is like the Name of the Page it Links to) Notes If It Breaks The Browsing Metaphor (another Window via Links)

Bad Labelling Exampls Typos & Misspellings (See Above!) Too much InterCaps (see above!) Too Much Text or Extraneous That Really Doesn’t Tell You Anything About The Link That Makes You Less Likely To Understand The Link And May Take More Time To Interpret Than Clicking On The Link Name TOO MUCH UPPERCASE TEXT THAT IS MORE ARDUOUS TO READ AND COMPREHEND Links in Color “Click Here” Are Too Numerous Are Too Cute Dead Links without rollover text

Metaphors What Does the Web “Look” Like To You? What Does an Individual Web Site “Look” Link To You? How Do You Integrate with Labels?Labels How Does Metaphor Affect Memory of a Site (during use and after a visit)? Always a Physical Space (Movement)? - Information Highway - Maps - “Explorer” & “Navigator” (Opera?) How Do People Describe a Web Site Visit?

Maglio & Matlock (1998) Great Bibliography Users Remembered Little of Site Visits - Anchor Points - Key Nodes that lead to Target Information - Personal Routines – What Worked Before Will Work Now (!) Consistently Among Web Sites Consistency Among Search Engines Bad User Habits Continue Bad Design Conventions Continue - Language of Web Site Use Visiting Went… - Talk Aloud Protocols When Studying Web Use - Users Conceptualize Themselves Moving TOWARD Information, not Information Being BROUGHT to Them.

Maglio & Matlock (1998) 2 Metaphor and Thought - Lakoff and Johnson Not Only a Literary Device (in Study) Linguistic Analysis Cognitive Analysis Trends and Metaphors of the Times - Clockwork to Computers “Image Schemata” - Pre-conceptual structures from our embodied experience - Habits and Assumptions in terms of understanding

Maglio & Matlock (1998) 3 Language Use on the Web - Outside & Inside Actions System Actions - Click, Scroll, Type Move - Go, Follow Computer Assistance - Display, Bring Up Information Action - Look For, Search, Browse Individual Process - Look, See Physical Motion Most Common - What about the Browser? (Agency) - What about Other Users? (Collaboration)

Let’s look at some maps (models)

Some maps are specific

Some are not

How to Design Text (from Metaphor) Labels and Graphics Jakob Nielsen Other News Examples? - NY Times - WSJ - AAS iSchool

Card (Term) Sorting for Site Labels Why Card Sorting So Early? Multiple Applications of this Technique, unfortunately known (only) as Card Sorting Rosenfeld: Two Kinds of Labels - Subject Matter Expert Labels - Lay Person – Novice Labels Focus on Needs & Problems with Labels Categories of Labels help with Design Scope

Label Sorting – Speed Sorting How Much Time Will Users Spend Deciphering Your Site? A Series of Quick Label Evaluations - Terms - Phrases

Sorting Step 1 Look at all the terms & phrases Each of you: write a 1 sentence description of what the site these terms and phrases must be about. 2 Minutes!

Sorting Step 2 Read over the terms and phrases and circle the ones you immediately & certainly understand. 2 Minutes! Read over the terms and phrases and lightly cross out terms and phrases you don’t understand. 2 Minutes!

Sorting Step 3 Work together: suggest terms and phrases for the circled items. Provide up to 3 alternatives. Focus. 3 Minutes! Work together: suggest terms and phrases you crossed out. Provide up to 3 alternatives. Create. 3 Minutes!

ROTATE Label List! Each Group: Work with Another List All Three Steps Again. Turn Over Work to Original Project Group After Class: - Tighten Up Vocabulary - Consistency of Use (Nouns – Verbs) - Fix Cases, Spelling, Parallel Word Counts - What’s Missing?

Next Week Design Critiques returned Main Page Wireframe Class Q & A about course readings - Class participation is part of your grade Reminder - no class on Nov. 1