1. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Information Architecture and Web Site Design IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Profs. Ray Larson and Warren Sack School of Information Management and Systems UC Berkeley Fall 2001 Lecture Authors: Warren Sack & Marti Hearst

2. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Last Time: Thesaurus Design and Construction Developing Controlled Vocabularies Thesaurus design Steps in Thesaurus development Indexing

3. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Today What is information architecture? –Definition –Practitioners –Examples –Brainstorming exercise –Elements Elements of information architecture –Organization systems –Labeling systems –Navigation systems –Search and indexing systems –Metaphor systems –Audience analyses

4. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval What is information architecture? Information Architect: n. 1) the individual who organizes the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear. 2) a person who creates the structure or map of information which allows others to find their personal paths to knowledge. 3) the emerging 21 st century professional occupation addressing the needs of the age focused upon clarity, human understanding and the science of the organization of information. Richard Saul Wurman, Information Architects, 1996

5. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Who is an information architect? Ralph Appelbaum Peter Bradford Carbon Smolan Associates Muriel Cooper/David Small Richard Curtis Donovan and Green John Grimwade Nigel Holmes Maria Giudice/Lynne Stiles Joel Katz Krzysztof Lenk/Paul Kaun David Macaulay Dave Merrill Clement Mok Don Moyer Bruce Robertson Nathan Shedroff Erik Spiekermann Alexander Tsiaras Richard Saul Wurman

6. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Who is an information architect? Avi Rappaport Abbe Don

7. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Who is not (necessarily) an information architect? Marketing team Graphic designers Editors Technical staff Project management I.e., the rest of the team that an information architect works with

8. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Examples of Information Architecture Wurman’s Access Guides Spiekermann’s subway maps Macaulay’s books Carbone Smolan’s museum signage Newspapers Phone books websites

9. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Access Guides Guide books for cities Information organized by location, colored coded by category –Where am I now? –What’s near by?

10. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Brainstorming Exercise Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 1998. –What do you hate about the Web? –What do you like about the Web?

11. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Elements of information architecture Organization systems Labeling systems Navigation systems Search and indexing systems Metaphor systems Audience analyses

12. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Organization Systems Ways to Organize Information (according to Wurman) LATCH – Location – Alphabetical – Time – Category – Hierarchy/Continuum (small to large, dark to light)

13. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Organization Systems Ways to Organize Information – Topics – Tasks – Processes – Metaphors – Narratives – Audiences

14. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Labeling Systems This passage quotes “a certain encyclopedia” in which it is written that “animals are divided into: (a) belonging to the emperor, (b) embalmed, (c) tame, (d) suckling pigs, (e) sirens, (f) fabulous, (g) stray dogs, (h) included in the present classification, (I) frenzied, (j) innumerable, (k) drawn with a very fine camelhair brush, (l) et certera, (m) having just broken the water pitcher, (n) that from a long way off look like flies.” (Foucault, The Order of Things, 1970)

15. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Types of Labels Labels as indexing and search terms Link labels Labels as headings Labels within navigation systems (e.g., pull down menus) Icons

16. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Sources of Labels Other webs sites Controlled vocabularies/thesauri From content From experts and users

17. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Navigation Systems Types –Hierarchical –Global –Local –Other? Information access methods including social navigation, berrypicking, etc.

18. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Elements of Navigation Systems Graphical and textual navigation bars Frames Pop-up menus Tables of content Site maps Guided tours The sky’s the limit with java, javascript, etc.

19. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Environment of Navigation Browser as environment –Back button –Forward button –History –Bookmarks –Link colors –Alternative browsers (e.g., ActiveWorlds, VMRL, Shredder, Web Stalker, etc.)

20. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Search and Indexing Systems (from Avi Rappoport’s lecture of 27 Sept 2001) Search –database versus text search –Good search engines can handle multiple notations –People are interested in searching db fields for ecommerce –Synonyms mostly per domain Inktomi includes American to British synonyms –Interfaces Basic search everywhere Simple search page Advanced search page with all options Put “search” on the button Integrate search with browsing

21. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Search and Indexing Systems (from Avi Rappoport’s lecture of 27 Sept 2001) Indexing problems –Avoiding indexing navigation text –Detect duplicate pages –Completeness Index everything Hide the archive a little –Freshness

22. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Search and Indexing Systems (from Avi Rappoport’s lecture of 27 Sept 2001) Analysis –Usability testing is generally not done, but should be! –Informal testing is ok –Analyze search logs Store basic search data: query, number of results, date/time, IP address, or session ID Free market research! –Top searches –No matches –New topics and trends

23. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Metaphor Systems Organizational metaphors (e.g., website organized according to corporate structure) Functional metaphors (e.g., website organized like a libraries, with volumes, shelves, catalogs, etc.) Visual metaphors (e.g., website organized like a machine or a city)

24. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Metaphor Systems Recall Lakoff and Johnson’s metaphors of embodiment and their use in cogintive mapping of websites (e.g., Maglio et al., 1999). E.g, how does one move in, up, down, etc. in navigating a website.

25. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Audience Who is the website for? How does one describe this audience? –Scenarios –Personae (see Alan Cooper, About Face: The Essentials of User Interface Design) Goals and Tasks Enthnography (see Illinois Institute of Technology, Design Department) Usability studies (see Nielsen and Norman Group)

26. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Systematic Descriptions of the process of Information Architecture Rosenfeld and Morville, Information Architecture, chapters 8 and 9 Abbe Don’s lecture (the end describing website for Don Inc.) Newman and Landay (see Marti’s lecture from last year) See also, Marti’s User Interface Design and Development course syllabus (IS213)

27. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Rosenfeld and Morville, Information Architecture Brainstorming with whiteboards and flip charts Metaphor exploration Scenarios High-level architecture Architectural page mockups Design sketches Web-based prototypes Detailed architectural blueprints Content mapping Web page inventory Point-of-production architecture Architectural style guides Learning from users

28. 27 Nov 2001IS202: Information Organization and Retrieval Next Time Database Design Assignment 5 due