Information Architecture & Design Week 4 Schedule -Group Project Proposal Due -Planning IA Structures -Other Readings -Research Topic Presentations

Anatomy of IA Search -Engine -Index -Results Navigation - Links -Buttons -Page (Site) -Browser Site Maps -Guides and Wizards -Links, Hierarchies and Taxonomies Labels

Structural Anatomy for IA Headings Embedded Links Metadata (appearance) Chunks of Content Lists Steps Identifiers -Navigational Help -Logos(?)

Organizing Information Alphabetical -Directories (Big) -Lists (Smaller) Chronological -Local -Global Geographical Ambiguous -Odd -Rules once known… Personal

Wurman’s Hatracks (LATCH) Location Alphabet Time Category Hierarchy

Organizing Information… Topic -Yellow Pages -Layers Task -Shop -Learn Audience -Experts -Beginners Metaphor Hybrids

IA Structures Top Down -Centralized -Not always just one Bottom Up -Content Driven -Technology Driven Broad and Deep -Grouping -Dynamic (Personalization) Links Creativity Balance

Questions for IA -Who? Purpose Help! -What? Purpose Content -Where? Navigation Wayfinding -When? What’s New? What’s Old? -How? Search? Browse? -Why?

Deliverables That Clarify & Focus Concept Maps -Overview of Design Goals Functions (Groups) Wireframes (GUI) Storyboards -Scenarios -User Perspective Block Diagrams -Flowcharts -Diagram Conventions Flow Maps -Window/Screen Design -High Fidelity Views

Structure & Memorability Site Size & Structure vs. User(s) Perception -Lynch’s Study (to the Web) Landmarks (Passini) Paths (Passini) Districts Nodes (with Hubs) Edges (boundaries) -Algorithm for Landmark Detection (? & Not Effective) -Browsers vs. Searchers -Four Experiment Web Sites Logs Structure User Feedback

Structure & Memorability Results Support Strong Mental Models to make Wayfinding Easier Very Structured Sites are More Usable (and seem smaller) Design Strongly Hierarchical Sites to Make Them Seem Smaller Site Size Has Little Effect on User Navigation and Mental Models User’s Site Drawings Showed Strong Hierarchical Structure -Not much cross-linking drawn

Structure & Memorability Results... Strongly Hierarchical Sites had more Nodes (Pages) accessed “Higher” Nodes are More Memorable More Visits to a Node Increased its Memorability Structural Landmarks Poor Predictors of (Actual) Behavioral Landmarks Strongly Hierarchical Sites May Not Be By Design, but By Perceptual and Cognitive Styles (?) Small Study, but conforms to HCI past

Concept Maps -A Visual Technique for Design -(Relatively) Traditional -Applied in Many Fields Knowledge Structures (Learning) Arguments (Viewpoints) -Software Makes this Possible & Applicable Keywords Structure Mining and Generation -Semantic Networks as Concept Maps -A Modeling Language? (Scripts) -Design and Evaluation Tool (for Groupwork) -As Web Site Amplification (extra window or app?)

You Are Here: Maps 101 We All Know Maps (or do we?) Artistry Accuracy Draw to Scale North as Up/Top Location in Context Standards and Consistency Details (at the right time and place) Scope Views (multiple)

Memory, Structure & Scent for IR Lostness Measures -Optimal Paths -Number of Links and Unique Visits Reaction Times -Completeness -Timeouts Ratings Statistical Analysis -Specific -Over Fitting Links are Easier than other studies? -Numbers and Memory -Menu Design Context of Study

Memory, Structure & Scent for IR Design for a Balance of Depth and Breadth -Favor Breadth over Depth -Support for Task Breadth (Navigation) Balance in Design for Tasks and Functions Numbers of (Menu) Items -Short Term Memory -Design for Long Term Memory -Labels and Affects More Time to Evaluate Larger Structures Search and Browse vs. Breadth and Depth Foraging Support (Optimal Path) Visual (Recognitions) vs. Cognition (Decisions)

Limits of Structure (Bernstein) Hypertext as Craft to Engage Readers Garden & Wilderness Metaphors -Signs -Guideposts Navigation Not Always the Problem -Lots of Navigation Devices (% of page) -Could Be Poorly Written Text Disorientation May Open Other Possibilities -Excitement -Attention

Limits of Structure… Navigation Ease Lets Users Exit Quickly -Were they really finished with the task? Revisitation suggests closure The Central Page (not always the home page) -Were there other elements to explore? Overriding the Content Paths Get “Worn Out” (Commonality) What About Discovery? The Fastest/Shortest Path Is Not Always the Best -Give Readers both Wilderness and Parks to invite adventure or staying.

What’s Next? Presentations Proposal Overview