COMM1PCOMM1P This presentation © Gilbert Cockton For University of Sunderland students only. Permission is required for any other use of this material Information Architecture Activity Architecture Bridging from Context to Design Context and Structure 4

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 The Rule of HCI: Reminder 0905 Good Design … … demonstrably fits … … its context of use This lecture introduces a key form of “fit” between expected structures in the world and actual structures on a web-site for information and activity

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Part 1 Thinking about Structure

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 How Structure Fits In 0907 Evaluation Constrains  Informs  Tests Site structure fits Context Design Implies Information and activity architectures indicate expectations

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 The Role of Structure 0908 To distribute across a web-site To relate on a web-page C O N T E N T Information Digital Resources Activities

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Structure 0910 Generally, the sum of the relations between parts of a whole Relations between items Relations between groups of items For web, firstly, content relations between information concepts or digital resources Also, relations between activity phases and/or task steps

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Items and Relations 0912 attributes: products have prices, specifications, availability … orderings: you choose before you buy inclusion: 406 Estate is an estate car is a car is a vehicle is transport and many more take ideas from data modelling but remember this is information as presented to users!

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Content Structures for Information & Digital Resources 0914 Structure results from such relations The common types of structure are: a hierarchy of (sub)categories and members a network of related concepts and resources a discourse based on a linear narrative structure

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Linear Structure 0916 Simple tasks and narratives Easy to remember Enter Domain Name Check Domain Name Read Results Decide on purchase Purchase

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Tree Structure 0918 Hierarchically structured content Memorable if meets expectations DMN Non membersMembers JoinLoansBrokerageAdvice

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Network Structure 0920 Richly interconnected content hard to learn, unless organisation is clear Design Evaluation Context Stakeholders Activities Users Structure Categories Tasks

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 But! 0924 Users rarely learn structure Result in “Web Site Usability” So don’t claim that clear structures are automatically more memorable, but they should be more understandable

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Part 2 Structure, Design and Outcome

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Site/Page Structure and Navigation Design 0927 Navigation Design uses concrete design features... Page layout, link labels/graphics and positions, site maps, contents, indices, search, breadcrumbs … to render conceptual structures Navigation is concrete Structure is abstract

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 The Cost of Poor Structure 0930 Creative Good 56% of within site queries fail Zona 62% of shoppers gave up at least once 42% completed off the web

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Part 3 Researching Info Structure

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Research Tactics 0932 Business Goals How do you find out about structure? Bottom-up - find the basic information items and group them repeatedly into a structure Top-down - brainstorm top-level categories for information and activities, decompose them Gather evidence in the usual way watch, ask, study... make use of existing artefacts, especially competing products

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 A Research Method 0935 Card Sorts Open: group and name categories Closed: assign items to categories (or use speeded sentence verification)

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Break 0940 Back by 0955 Extra Monday Tutorial Slot Will be used for presentations only Hand in group sheets today Preferably now!

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Motives and goals on the web 0940 Your examples of both Motive: broad, pervasive, personal –example: become rich Goal: specific, contingent, instrumental –example: find share buying advice Discuss after the break

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Part 4 Activity Structures

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Activity Structure: Theory 0955 Action is goal driven, motive-constrained, with shifting levels of consciousness plans are conscious skills unconscious, triggered by environment breakdowns force reversion to planning Activities span hours to years and have multiple motives (sub)tasks span seconds to minutes and add additional instrumental goals

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Activity Structure 0958 From the biggest to the smallest Activities, phases/subactivities, tasks, subtasks, actions/operations “step-size” is determined by “chunkable” operations sub-task compilation closure occurs at completion of planned activities release of cognitive resources

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Motives and goals on the web 1001 Your examples of both Motive: broad, pervasive, personal –example: become rich Goal: specific, contingent, instrumental –example: find share buying advice Discuss now, 5 minutes Use in assignment?

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Activity: Web Examples 1006 Motives –popularity, success, personal growth, curiosity, solving a problem, planning something,... User Goals –Surfing, looking for specific information, buying products, downloading software,... Site Goals –Marketing services, selling goods, making information available to employees, customers and shareholders,...

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Part 5 High Level Site Design

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Integrating Structures 1009 Context research reveals more than one desirable structure organisational, users’, domain,... potentially conflicting Need to integrate different structures into the best compromise structure requires trade-offs needs clear picture of site priorities

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Evaluating A Structure 1012 Identify and Assess Knowledge Requirements e.g., need for specialist knowledge of categories, e.g., trip segments Will users have this knowledge? If not,... Test the compromise taxonomy/structure See if users can relate items/categories to higher level categories (both directions)

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Validating A Structure 1014 Completeness Does the final structure cover all the business goals and associated user needs? Taxonomic Quality One clear place for everything Nothing in two places But! –Redundancy may be OK, web isn’t a catalogue

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 From Structure to Navigation 1016 Even the compromise abstract model is only a preferred structure screen estate limitations may require changes so may accessibility –short menus for screen readers Models as sources for navigation aids indices maps contents search terms

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Content 1: Reminder 1018 Human-Computer Interaction for the Web Context Research Usability Evaluation èInformation Architecture èActivity Architecture Navigation Structures, Display Design, Media, Interaction

COMM1P4COMM1P4 SCET MSc EC/ECA © Gilbert Cockton 2001 Summary 1020 Structure is the main bridge between context and design Make full use of it Research Structure Identify Conflicts Manage trade-offs Assess final compromise structure(s)