Information Architecture & Design Course Overview -Syllabus -Requirements & Preferences -IA & Design Readings -Group Projects IA Overview -What is IA? -Information Architect as a Profession

IA Course Requirements Use Fundamental IA Tools -HTML Editors -Graphics Editors -Site Mapping Tools -Site Organization Tools Learn and Use IA Methodology -Work Through the Phases of the IA Process -Create and Maintain a Design Specification -Structured Development Techniques

IA Course Preferences Advanced IA Technologies -JavaScript -Databases Design Innovative -Content -Interfaces Work With Real Projects -Interpreting Requirements -Defining and Implementing Designs

Information Architecture Overview What is Information Architecture? What Do Information Architects Do? Approaches to Information Architecture Information Architecture Process Design and Information Architecture Designers and Information Architects Information as Product

What is Information Architecture? Builds on Skills, Methods and History of Architecture -Not Just Analogy -Process-Oriented Both Art and Science -Theory (Knowledge and Experiments) -Practice (Skills and Experience) Dynamic Discipline -Technologies -People

What else is IA? -Organization, labeling and navigational schemes in an information system Managing the process -Structural design of an information space for task completion and access to content Understanding Business and Implementing Goals -Art and science of structuring and classifying Intranets and Web + applications, other technologies -Emerging discipline for improving design and architecture to “digital landscape” Other skills, unique combinations and instances Rosenfeld & Morville

What Do Info Architects Do? Use Tools and Methods -Plan -Analyze -Design -Construct -Verify -Maintain Apply Experience Manage the IA Process Providing and Organizing roles too Passive

IA and Other Professions -Architecture, but not Construction or Contracting -Software Development, but not Programming -Content Development, but not Technical Writing or Marketing Communications -LIS, but not Cataloging or User Services -Design, but not Graphic Design or Advertising -MIS, but not Information Technology or Knowledge Management -Education, but not Teaching or Training -Product Management, but not Project Planning

AKA IA? Experience Design Experience Modeling (X-Mod) User Modeling Usability Engineering Webmaster Interaction Design Multimedia Developer Instructional Designer Webmonkey?

Information Architecture is … Proactive Strategic for Information Systems Tactical for Technologies Profitable for the Organization Central to 2K+ Business Applicable to Any Endeavor Fluid Indispensable

Approaches to IA Mediator of the Design Process Interpreter of User Needs and Uses Applying Theory to Practice (Top-Down) Designing and Extending from Examples (Bottom- Up) Ringmaster (Scoutmaster?) Producer, Director Artist or Scientist Objective / Subjective Project Lead – IA – Designer – Usability - QA

Design is Solving Problems Products that Solve Problems -Information as Product -Connections as Product Processes that Solve Problems -Education -Business Transformation

Design is an Attitude View of the World as a Problem Space Improving the Problem Space

Design & Information Architecture Two Sides of the Same Coin? Each Part of the Other? IA = one kind of Design? Design = one kind of IA? “Users. Content. Context.” -Actors & Actions -Resources -Ecology

Designers & Information Architects Focus on the Users Apply Theory Understand the System Use Tools Proficiently Extend the System Create New Systems

Our IA Methodology Planning Analysis Design -Technology Independent -Technology Dependent Construction Verification Maintenance

IA Methodology AnalysisDesign VerificationConstructionMaintenance Planning