An experience designer's view of information architecture within the context of SharePoint.

1. Information architecture & SharePoint
An experience designer’s view on how information architecture
fits within the SharePoint context.
Lulu Pachuau
3 July 2009, SharePoint Conference
Sponsored by
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2. problem solver
I’m NOT really
a SharePoint
person…
strategist
facilitator
communicator
evaluator
critic
mentor
sales person
implementer
business person
information architect
interaction designer
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3. SP
SharePoint people or using it
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Logos I could find...

4. Information
architecture (IA)
IA is a
process
IA is an
outcome
IA is one of elements of user experience (UX)
Elements of User experience - Jesse James Garret
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5. UX people flee at the sound of “SharePoint”
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6. Business assumes IT will put it together
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7. We just
provide a
service
Where are
we going
with this?
IT need clearer requirements directions
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8. What’s so different about SharePoint projects?
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9. SharePoint is like a DIY toolbox or warehouse
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10. SharePoint is...
“an enterprise information
portal... to run intranets, extranets
and internet sites... allows people,
teams and expertise to connect and
collaborate.”
By SharePoint HQ
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11. Features and ways to do it – LOTS!!
http://www.themackpage.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/083107-1957-whitepapers1.jpg
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12. Demo – features you can use right out of the box!
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13. Ready Set GO?
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14. …before you get buried too deep
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15. Common problem – Poor/lack of communication
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16. Business
Implementtttttttttttt t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
requirements
SharePoint
Business
consultant
IT/Tech team
Typical project with SP
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17. Business Business Business
Implement
requirements
Implement
requirements
Implement
requirements
SharePoint
Business
consultant
IT/Tech team
Some projects start with
implementing the product!
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18. … end up with something no-one will use and $$$$$
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19. …or like this
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20. Who you gonna call?
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21. 21

22. Business Information architecture
Implementation
requirements
(analysis design)
Information SharePoint
Business
architect
consultant
IT/Tech team
Fill the gap with information
architecture
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23. “
Look before you leap – plan and
design the IA before you write a
single line of code dig into
SharePoint ...
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24. So what is information architecture?
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25. Information architecture is…
“ the art and science of structuring,
organising and labeling
information to help people find and
manage information.”
- Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville, authors of the “polar
bear” book
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26. Information architecture for SharePoint
instructs…
• How the site will be structured
and divided into a set of sub-
sites.
• How data will be presented in
the site.
• How site users will navigate
through the site.
• How information will be
targeted at specific audiences.
• How search will be configured
and optimised.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262873.aspx
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27. Context
Content
Users
3 areas of information architecture
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28. Context
Context
Content
Users
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29. Business goals and vision:
“intranet staff will love and find pleasurable to use”
“A world class website”
“a one-stop shop for all our customers. They will just
come to our website for all their needs”
Requirements expectations:
One-stop-shop portal, hub, wikis, RSS, Blogs, Facebook,
Google search, documents, dashboards… and a pony
We need it next week – timeframes
Limited budget resources – constraints
We’ve already bought SharePoint – technology
landscape
Research and understand the context
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30. Context
SharePoint context
Content
Users
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31. Information architecture rules (out of the box)
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32. User interface patterns – adding content
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33. Feedback not most user friendly
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34. Compartmentalisation of content (out of the box)
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35. Metadata = site columns
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36. 0% or min: less $$
100% custom UI: $$$$
Levels of customisation
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37. Summary – SharePoint context IA’s need to know
• Information architecture rules
• User interface patterns
• Feedback messages
• Compartmentalisation of content
• Customisation requirements
• SharePoint terminologies
- Themes aka skins
- Master Page
- Web parts
Context
- Site columns – metadata
- Content types – bunch of metadata/columns
- Etc…
Content
Users
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38. Context
Content – analysis modelling
Content
Users
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39. Content…
• Documents
• Images, photos
• Audio, Video
• Tools or applications – desktop,
web based
• Services
• Physical items
• Communications – ministerials,
meeting minutes, etc
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40. Facets of content relevant to SharePoint
• Governance – Ownership, Retrieval, Security
- Who owns, creates content? when does content get created or
removed? Is it centralised? Does it need approval? Who can view what when?
• Metadata (more later)
- How is content described? what makes them different from each other?
• Format (that content is in)
- Textual documents, databases and software applications, audio videos, books,
people and so on
• Volume
- how big is your intranet/website going to be? How many pieces of content are
there?
• Dynamism
- what is the rate of growth of content within your organisation? how long are
they valid? How do you want to keep old records?
* More on the Information Architecture for the World Wide Web book – Pete Morville Louis Rosenfield
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41. The universe of content
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42. Context
Users
Content
Users
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43. ?
User research – behaviours, tasks, preferences
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44. User research – Context of use
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45. Context
Information
architecture
Content
Users
High level to low level IA
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46. Where am I?
I know what
How do I get I’m looking
around?
for, how do I
search for it?
What kinds of
information do
they have that is
What’s going useful to me (as a
one, what’s prospective
popular?
student or staff)?
I need to get
to my
university
email quickly
Caters to different needs, info seeking behaviours
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47. Organisation system
e.g. by author, time, topic or geography
Navigation system
e.g. Global local nav, contextual, task based
Metadata
e.g. titles, desc, author, etc.
Labelling system
e.g. Food terms, scientific terms, etc
Search system
e.g. Scope, fields, keywords, tags, best bets
Core components of information architecture
* More on the Information Architecture for the World Wide Web book – Pete Morville Louis Rosenfield
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48. Search
Organisation system
system
Navigation
system
Organisation
system
Navigation
system

49. Interface
Information architecture components
IA behind the scenes – impacts user experience
* Information architecture iceberg concept from Information Architecture for the World Wide Web – Pete Morville Louis Rosenfield
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50. Quick introduction to metadata
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51. TradeMe – Metadata driven
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52. Users provide metadata – drives the website
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53. You can “See” the metadata
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54. In summary…
Context
• Three areas of IA
• Core components
Content
Users
• IA impacts user experience
Organisation system
Interface
Navigation system
Metadata
Labelling system
Information architecture
Search system
components
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55. Keep in mind…
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56. Business Information architecture
Implementation
requirements
(analysis design)
Information architect
Information SharePoint
Business
architect
consultant
SharePoint consultant integrator
IT/Tech team
We don't need to do or
know everything
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57. What does the info architect create deliver?
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58. Sitemap – organisation, labels
hierarchy, top down
Navigation pathways
Content types, labels
Metadata
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59. Page templates
layouts – content placement,
metadata values
Search – scope, which field,
prefered terms, cv
Specifications – components of IA
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60. ?
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61. Custom development on SharePoint
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62. Intranet
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63. MOT Intranet
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64. Custom development on SharePoint
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65. DIY store – tools
to build anything
you want…
If you know what
you’re going to build…
If you know what you
need to build it
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66. Alex Dean
Stephanie Beath
SharePoint trainer, consultant and Experience design consultant
implementer
Information architect
Information architect
steph@beath.co.nz
alex.dean@knowledgecue.co.nz
Isha Hartono
Kate Smith
SharePoint consultant, theme SharePoint information architect,
expert, website integrator
theme expert, interaction
Interaction designer
designer, website integrator
Information architect
kate@trinkit.co.nz
Isha.hartono@provoke.co.nz
Zef Fugaz
Lulu Pachuau
Experience design consultant Experience design consultant
Information architect
Information architect
Interaction designer
zef.fugaz@zefamedia.com
lulu@lushai.com
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67. References
• Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
Peter Morville Louis Rosenfield
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596527341/
• Definition of SharePoint:
http://www.sharepointhq.com/resources/what_is_SP.htm
• Determine the information architecture of your site:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262873.aspx
• Project cartoon: http://www.projectcartoon.com/
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68. Thanks!!
lulu@lushai.com
http://www.lushai.com
Photos found on Flickr and Google images
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