Information Architecture the Basics - User Needs

Information Architecture

-The Basics-Presented by Kero Yu

Friday, 2 August, 13

About Kero

• Digital Art Design, Donghua University, China

• New Media Design and Web Development Senior Management Certificate, BCIT, Canada

• Worked at: Sharp Point Press, Gamebase. eBay Taiwan, Electronic Arts

• Now owns a column at TechOrange.com


What is I.A.?• The structural design of shared information

environments.

• The combination of organization, labeling, search, and navigation systems within Websites, intranets and interactive media.

• The art and science of shaping information products and experiences to support usability and findability.

• An emerging discipline and community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.


StructuringOrganizingLabeling


Finding and Managing


Art and Science


Why I.A. matters?• The cost of finding information

• The cost of not finding information

• The value of education

• The cost of construction

• The cost of maintenance

• The cost of training

• The value of brand


In short, I.A. will save your time & money, and make

people love your site.


Basic ModelFriday, 2 August, 13

Context

• Business goals, funding, politics, culture, technology, resources, and constraints


Users

• Audience, tasks, needs, information seeking behaviour, experience


Content

• Document/data types, content objects, volume, existing structure


Practice:Explain IA to Others


User Needs and Behaviours


All websites servesinformation.

All users come to a site for information needs.


The Too-SimpleInformation Model

• User asks a question.

• Black Magic! (Something happens.)

• User receives the answer.

• Finish!


Things are notalways that simple.And, prior to all...


When studying IA,we need to know

the motivations behindevery behaviour.


If we don’t think about it, we’re just wasting time to make

something that no one cares.


Users’ Questions

• Where am I? (What is this site about?)

• Is there anything I need?

• Why I should be here?


What do users want?Let’s use the metaphor of

fishing to get at the answer.


Known-item seekingThe too-simple model would solve it.

The Perfect Catch


Exploratory seekingYou hope that whatever ambles in will be useful.

Lobster Trapping


Exhaustive researchYou try to drag up everything you can.

IndiscriminateDrift Netting


Need-it-again re-finding I’ve seen you before.

White Shark


Information-Seeking Behaviours


Major Seeking Behaviours

•Searching

•Browsing

•Asking


And we know how to approach.

(Search engine, list, email or forum)


More Complex Models

•Berry-picking

•Pearl-growing


Berry-pickingKeep picking bits of information

along the way and modify the requests.


Pearl-growingYou want “more like this one”.


Figure out what’s the best way for your users to find information, and apply it.


Be sure theyreally need it.


So, which modelshould we choose?


There’s no correct answer.Just stick to

“two-step”model.


... and keep“User Needs”

in mind.


Tons of IA options

• Organization Systems

• Navigation Systems

• Search Systems

• Labeling Systems

• Browsing/Searching Aids


80/20 PrincipleOnly 20% of IA options fit user needs.

Your job is to figure it out.


Practice

• Imagine the browsing experience on a travel agent website.

• Give examples of all 4 seeking motivations and describe about when and how integrations/iterations happen.


THANK YOU!

• Tell me you how you think about the first lecture, what your favourite part is, and how I can improve it.

• E-Mail: [email protected]


Technology

Information Architecture the Basics - User Needs