Introduction to Information Architecture & Design - As presented by Robert Stribley, SVA, 06/21/14

1. Introduction to Information Architecture & Design
School of Visual Arts | June 21, 2014 Robert Stribley

2. Today’s presentation will be available on
SlideShare following the workshop:
www.slideshare.net/stribs

3. Butterfly on the New York City Highline
Pattern
Recognition:
In cognitive
psychology, the
ability to identify
familiar forms
within a complex
arrangement of
sensory stimuli

4. Butterflies Labeled by Species

5. Intro
Robert Stribley
@stribs
• I’m an Associate
Experience Director at
Razorfish
• I like literature, cinema,
music, photography,
cycling
• I drink coffee
Introduction
My clients have included:
• Bank of America, PNC, Wachovia
• JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley,
Oppenheimer Funds, PNC,
Prudential, Smith Barney, T. Rowe
Price
• Boston Scientific, Nasonex
• Choice Hotels, RCI
• Computer Associates, EMC
• Ford, Lincoln
• AT&T, Nextel
• Day One, Red Cross
• Pearson, Travel Channel,
Women’s Wear Daily

6. Intro
About You
•What’s your name?
•What do you do for work?
•What do you do for fun?
•Coffee, tea or bottled water?
Introduction

7. Intro
Goals of this workshop
•Understand the basic concepts of
information architecture
•Experience the general process and
techniques used on a design project
•Review the basic deliverables an
information architect develops within a
project
Introduction

8. Agenda

9. Agenda
Morning
• Background
• Design Process
• Our Project
• User Research
• Competitive Review
• Personas
• Lunch
Agenda

10. Agenda
Afternoon
• Card Sorting
• Site Maps
• Page Types
• Navigation
• Sketching
• Wireframes
• Q&A
Agenda

11. Background

12. Background
in•for•ma•tion ar•chi•tec•ture n.
Background: Defining IA
• The combination of organization,
labeling, and navigation schemes within
an information system.
• The structural design of an information
space to facilitate task completion and
intuitive access to content.
• The art and science of structuring and
classifying web sites and intranets to help
people find and manage information.
• An emerging discipline and community of
practice focused on bringing principles of
design and architecture to the digital
landscape.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (1st Edition), p. 4, Rosenfeld and Morville
Navigation
Interaction
Art/Science
Discipline/
Community

13. Background
“It's hard to say who really is an
information architect. In some
sense, we all are.”
— Alex Wright, Author Glut
Background: Defining IA

14. userscontent
context
IA
Background: Defining IA

15. Interface
(skin)
information architecture
(skeleton)
Background: Defining IA

16. Design Process
metaphor: architectural plans
Flickr.com: Cornell University Library
Background: Defining IA

17. Background: History
A Brief History of IA
1975
• Richard Saul Wurman coined the term “information
architecture” to describe the field now more often
described as “information design”
1994
• Formation of Argus Associates in Ann Arbor, MI,
the first firm devoted to IA
1998
• First edition of Peter Morville and Lou Rosenfeld’s
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web,
affectionately known as “The Polar Bear” book

18. Partially adapted from: “A brief history of information architecture” by Peter Morville and Information Architecture:
Designing information environments for purpose, edited by Alan Gilchrist and Barry Mahon
A Brief History of IA
2000
• First IA Summit, Boston, MA – Defining
Information Architecture
2002
• Boxes & Arrows, online journal for information
architects goes live
• 3 new books on IA published, including Jesse
James Garrett’s The Elements of User
Experience
2015
• 15th Annual IA Summit held in Minneapolis, MN,
April 22-26
Background: History

19. Design Process
Project phases
by Harold Kerzner

20. Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
Design Process

21. Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
• Stakeholder interviews
• Business requirements
• Competitive & comparative audits
• User research
• Site inventory
Design Process

22. Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
•Personas
•Content Audit
•Card sorts
•Use Cases
•Sketching
•Site Map
•Creative Brief
•UX Brief
Design Process

23. Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
• Site Map
• Task Flows
• Sketching
• Wireframes
• Stakeholder Reviews
• Visual Design
• Prototype
• Usability Testing
• Functional Specifications
Design Process

24. Design Process
Discovery Definition Design Development
•Site Development
•User Acceptance
Testing (UAT)
•Quality Assurance
(QA)
•Usability Testing
Design Process

25. Background
IA Deliverables
site map
features/functionality
inventory
comparative/competitive
review
requirements document
personas
sketches
use cases
user flows prototype
wireframes
discover designdefine
experience brief
Deliverables

26. Our Project

27. What to do?
Our Project

28. Our Project
Events.com wants to revamp its website to
become the go-to online resource for people
wanting to attend or promote events across
the United States.
Our Project

29. Discover

30. User Research
User Research in Copenhagen’s Elderly Homes

31. User Research
“Through research, we aim to learn
enough about the business goals,
the users, and the information
ecology to develop a solid strategy.”
– Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville
Discovery: User Research

32. User Research
Methodology
• Focus Groups
• Surveys
• Interviews
Goals
• Identify patterns and trends in user behavior,
tasks, preferences, obstacles.
Discovery: User Research

33. User Research
Class Exercise: Survey Questions
• How do you learn about events in NYC?
• What type of events are you interested in?
• What’s more important to you:
– Price
– Type of Event
– Location
– Date
• How often do you attend the events?
• Do you ever need to promote an event?
• Do you ever invite people to an event?
Discovery: User Research

34. Competitive Review
image by
brandon schauer

35. Discovery: Competitive Audit
“This type of assessment helps set an
industry ‘marker’ by looking at what the
competition is up to, what features and
functionalities are standard, and how others
have solved the same problems you might
be tasked with.”
– Dorelle Rabinowitz
Discovery: Competitive Review

36. Competitive Review
Heuristic Evaluation
… involves evaluators examining the
interface and judging its compliance
with recognized usability principles
(the ‘heuristics’)
- Wikipedia
Discovery: Competitive Review
Self Study
For a more detailed explanation of heuristic evaluation, see Jakob Nielsen’s Ten Usability Heuristics.

37. Competitive Review
Sample Usability Criteria
These examples aren’t comprehensive. Appropriate criteria will depend on the project to be completed.
Home Page
• Are home page elements appropriately weighted and distributed?
• Is information clustered in meaningful ways?
Navigation
• Is the navigation structure concise and consistent?
• Are paths to important information intuitive and unobstructed?
Content
• Is content current? Are there visible indications of content freshness?
• Is content properly adapted for the Web? Is tone of voice consistent throughout content? Is
content chunked appropriately?
• Are headings and titles scannable?
Design
• Are colors appropriate to the Web? Is white space used appropriately? Is text readable?
Search
• Are search results relevant and cleanly presented?
Functionality
• Are functionality and forms efficiently designed?
Messaging
• Are errors messages clear on the site? Is help readily available to users?
• Are there appropriate means for user feedback?
Discovery: Competitive Review

38. Competitive Review
Methodology
•Review and analyze competitor sites
according to particular criteria
•Draw key findings, which can influence
and guide IA through the design phase
•Include a scorecard for high-level
comparison of points across all sites
Also: Comparative Reviews
Discovery: Competitive Review

39. Competitive Review
Competitors
Discovery: Competitive Review

40. Competitive Review
Key Findings
• Search prominent on each site
• Need for filtering events
• Calendars are helpful, but not always prominent
• Profiles and social features common, but handled with varying
degrees of detail
• Free events are often highlighted
• Event detail pages vary, may have maps, RSVP, sharing, rating,
commenting functionality
• Displaying other venues and restaurants adds utility
• Option to add or promote an event isn’t always prominent
Discovery: Competitive Review

41. Competitive Review
What else have we learned?
• Who are the audiences of these sites?
• What are the strengths of these sites?
• What are their weaknesses?
• How might another event site differentiate
itself from these sites?
Discovery: Competitive Review

42. Define

43. Personas
Created at Personas: http://personas.media.mit.edu
Personas is a component of the Metropath(ologies) exhibit, recently
on display at the MIT Museum by the Sociable Media Group from the
MIT Media Lab . It uses sophisticated natural language processing
and the Internet to create a data portrait of one's aggregated online
identity. In short, Personas shows you how the Internet sees you.

44. Personas
“Personas summarize user research findings
and bring that research to life in such a way
that everyone can make decisions based on
these personas, not based on themselves.”
– Steve Mulder
Definition: Personas

45. Personas
Methodology
• Cluster Analysis
Goals
• Create a narrative
based on real data to
illustrate user
behavior, motivations,
goals
Definition: Personas
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannerPromoter

46. Personas
Characteristics of Effective Personas
• Varied and distinct
• Detailed
• Not weighed down with minutiae
• Tied into business-specific goals
• Backed by data
Definition: Personas

47. Definition: Personas
SabrinaJenny DonnyJerry

48. Sabrina, 27
The party planner
Location:
Gramercy Park
Attitude:
Organized, outgoing
Financial Perspective:
Generous, bit of spendthrift
Online Habits:
Avid user of social networking sites,
Twitter, Facebook, etc
Events:
Wine tastings, gallery openings
Quote:
“I love getting bunches of friends
together to attend all these NYC
events. There’s so much great stuff to
do in this city!”
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannerPromoter
PersonasDefinition: Personas

49. Jerry, 44
The out-of-towner
Location:
Cincinnati, OH
Attitude:
Casual, yet adventurous
Financial Perspective:
Moderate spender
Online Habits:
Utilitarian use of the Web to
research trips, read about the arts
and pay bills
Events:
Museums, visiting landmarks, tours
Quote:
“I’m visiting the Big Apple with my
wife and we want to check out
some art-related events.”
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannerPromoter
Definition: Personas

50. Personas
Donny, 38
The local comedian
Location:
East Village
Attitude:
Laidback, loosely organized
Financial Perspective:
Frugal, paycheck to paycheck
Online Habits:
Spends time networking, promoting his
act online, haunts comedy sites
Events:
Comedy slams, variety shows
Quote:
“I land a few comedy gigs around the
city and I want to promote them better.” Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannedPromoter
Definition: Personas

51. Jenny, 33
The professional promoter
Location:
Williamsburg
Attitude:
Busy, disciplined, professional
Financial Perspective:
Healthy budget for promotions and
advertising
Online Habits:
Heavy use of social networking sites both
professionally and personally, shops online
Events:
Small gigs, big concerts, DJ sets
Quote:
“I manage a few bands and DJs and I
have to ensure they’re listed in the right,
targeted places.”
Personas
Small Budget
Big Budget
PlannedPromoter
Definition: Personas

52. Class Exercise: Personas
Definition: Personas
• What tasks might each persona attempt to complete on Events.com?
• What features can you imagine each persona might like on such a site?
• What obstacles or pain points might they encounter?
SabrinaJenny DonnyJerry
Self Study
”Personas and the Role of Design Documentation" by Andrew Hinton, Boxes and Arrows, 2008/02/27

53. Lunch Break

54. Agenda
Afternoon
• Card Sorting
• Site Maps
• Page Types
• Navigation
• Sketching
• Wireframes
• Q&A
Agenda

55. Card Sorting

56. Card Sorting
“There are often better ways to organize
data than the traditional ones that first
occur to us. Each organization of the
same set of data expresses different
attributes and messages. It is also
important to experiment, reflect, and
choose which organization best
communicates our messages.”
– Nathan Shedroff, Experience Strategist
Definition: Card Sorting

57. Methodology
• Grouping and labeling with index cards, post it notes
• Two types:
Open – Participants sort cards with no pre-established categories.
Useful for new architectures
Closed – Participants sort cards into predetermined, provided
groups. Useful for fitting content into existing architectures
• Online card sorts
–WebSort, OptimalSort, Socratic
Goals
• Organize content more efficiently
• Find names for categories based on users’ perspectives
Definition: Card Sorting
Self Study
"Card sorting: a definitive guide" by Donna Spencer and Todd Warfel, Boxes and Arrows, 2004/04/07

58. Case Studies:
• Wachovia Wealth Management Group
• American Red Cross
• Mercedes Benz
Definition: Card Sorting

59. Class Exercise:
As individuals:
• Take 5 minutes to think of all the events a
person could attend
• Write each event you come up with on a Post-
It note
Definition: Card Sorting

60. Class Exercise:
Now, as a group:
• Take a few minutes to organize your events
into categories (group & label them)
• Then we’ll share some categories
Definition: Card Sorting

61. Characteristics & Findings:
• Lumping and splitting
• Outliers and miscellaneous items
• Placing items in multiple categories
• Categories versus filters
–E.g. Free, Family, Outdoors
• Unique but intuitive labels
–E.g. Geeks
Definition: Card Sorting

62. Next Steps:
With the results of a card sort we then can:
• Build consensus
• Refine terminology
• Create a site map
• Help define navigation
Definition: Card Sorting

63. Design

64. Site Maps

65. Conceptual DesignDesign: Site Maps
“A site map is a high level
diagram showing the hierarchy
of a system. Site maps reflect
the information structure, but
are not necessarily indicative of
the navigation structure.”
- Step Two Designs

66. Conceptual DesignDesign: Site Maps

67. Conceptual DesignDesign: Site Maps

68. Page Types
The Mercator Atlas of Europe
From The British Library

69. Conceptual Design
Home Page Category Page Details Page
Design: Page Types

70. Navigation
Navigation Bridge, USS Enterprise
by Serendigity, Flickr

71. Grids
Types of Navigation
• Site Structure – major nav
• Hierarchical – product families
• Function – sitemap privacy
• Direct – banner ad/shortcut
• Reference – related links
• Dynamic – search results
• Breadcrumb – location
• Step Navigation – sequence
through forms/results
• Faceted Navigation – filters
results
Design: Navigation
Areas of Navigation
• Global – universal header/footer
• Local – left nav/right nav
• Local content – text links, buttons
Styles of Navigation
• Rollover
• Dropdown
• Flyout
• Tabs
• Accordion
Self Study
Adapted from Atsushi Hasegagwa’s The 7 Navigation Types of Web Sites

72. Grids
Mega Dropdowns
Design: Navigation

73. Grids
Power Footers
Design: Navigation

74. Sketching
Aerial Screw by Leonardo da Vinci, 1485-1487

75. Design: Sketching

76. Sketching
Can you guess what
this is a sketch of?
Design: Sketching

77. “twttr sketch” Twitter.com
Sketching
Twitter
[This sketch] has very special significance – it's hanging in the office somewhere with one other page.
Whenever I'm thinking about something, I really like to take out the yellow notepad and get it down.
– Jack Dorsey, Twitter
Design: Sketching

78. Sketching
“There are techniques
and processes whereby
we can put experience
front and center in design.
My belief is that the basis
for doing so lies in
extending the traditional
practice of sketching. ”
- Bill Buxton
Design: Sketching
Bill Buxton
Sketching User
Experiences

79. Bill Buxton
Sketching User
Experiences
Sketching
Attributes of a Sketch
•Quick
•Timely
•Inexpensive
•Disposable
•Plentiful
•Clear vocabulary
•Distinct gesture
•Minimal detail
•Appropriate degree of refinement
•Suggest & explore rather than confirm
•Ambiguity
Design: Sketching

80. Sketching
Methodology
• Draw
• Limit your time
• Don’t worry about mistakes or style
Goals
• Benefit from the participation of your colleagues
• Quickly generate ideas and refine through
iterations
Design: Sketching

81. SketchingDesign: Sketching

82. Sketching
Process
1.Discuss
2.Sketch
3.Share
4.Revise
Design: Sketching

83. • Not sketching yet
• Discuss the purpose of the experience you’re
sketching
• What features are necessary?
• How would you prioritize them?
• What’s the audience?
Design: Sketching
Discuss

84. Sketch
• Sketch silently
• Limit your time
• Sketch as much has possible, as many
different ideas as possible
Design: Sketching

85. Share
• Review your work with your team
• You offer your feedback to others
• What you like
• Questions about didn’t work for you
• You’re not grilling your colleagues and this
is not a competition
Design: Sketching

86. Revise
• Now sketch again/begin your wireframe with a
more informed view, more and better ideas
• Iterate on your design
Design: Sketching

87. Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Collaborative Sketching
In teams, sketch your ideas.
Event Page
1. Take 5 or so minutes first to discuss what
features belong here
Design: Sketching

88. Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Collaborative Sketching
In teams, sketch your ideas.
Event Page
1. Take 5 or so minutes first to discuss what
features belong here
2. Time for silent sketching
Design: Sketching

89. Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Collaborative Sketching
In teams, sketch your ideas.
Event Page
1. Take 5 or so minutes first to discuss what
features belong here
2. Time for silent sketching
3. Time for sharing your sketches
Design: Sketching

90. Sketching Tools:
The following apps are
all for the iPad:
• Adobe Ideas (Free)
• Bamboo Paper (Free)
• Muji Notebook ($3.99)
• Penultimate (Free)
• SketchBook Pro ($4.99)
• Paper (Free)
InfoDesign: Sketching Tools

91. Wireframes
photo & sculpture by
polly verity

92. Wireframes
“Web site wireframes are blue prints
that define a Web page’s content and
functionality. They do not convey
design – e.g. colors, graphics, or
fonts.”
- FatPurple
Design: Wireframes

97. Wireframing/Prototyping Tools:
• Adobe InDesign
• Axure
• Omnigraffle (Mac)
• Microsoft Visio
• Mockingbird (online, free)
Also:
• Balsamiq
• iPlotz
• iMockups (iPad)
• Omnigraffle (iPad)
InfoDesign: Wireframing Tools
Self Study
Smashing Magazine: 35 Excellent Wireframing Resources

98. Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Final Wireframe
In your teams, create your final deliverable, a home page for Events.com
Sketch First
1) Discuss features needed for a homepage
2) Sketch your ideas for a homepage individually
3) Review your sketches and provide feedback
Design: Wireframes

99. Design: Sketching
Class Exercise: Final Wireframe
Then Wireframe
1) Now, each of you will create a final “wireframe”
2) Be sure to incorporate your team mates’ design
ideas and feedback
Design: Wireframes

100. Design: Sketching
SabrinaJenny DonnyJerry
Don’t forget to keep your personas in mind

101. Design: Sketching
Wireframe & Prototyping Tools
Axure
Dreamweaver
InDesign
Visio
Design: Wireframes
Develop

102. Books:
• Information Architecture for the World Wide Web –
Louis Rosenfeld, Peter Morville
• Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web –
Christina Wodtke, Austin Govella
• The Elements of User Experience – Jesse James
Garrett
• Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User
Experience – James Kalbach, Aaron Gustafson
• Design of Everyday Things – Donald Norman
Local Events:
• IA Meetup
• Brooklyn UX
• Content Strategy Meetup
Web Sites:
• Alertbox
• A List Apart
• Boxes & Arrows
• wireframes.tumblr.com
InfoAdditional Resources
Organizations:
• Human Computer Interactions (HCI)
• Interaction Designers Association (IxDA)
• Usability Professionals Association (UPA)
Further Studies:
• School of Visual Arts
• Continuing Ed classes
• MFA in Interaction Design
• Pratt – Course in Information Design
• Rosenfeld Media
• General Assembly
• Skillshare
• Adaptive Path
• The Information Architecture Institute
• The IA Summit
• Nielsen Norman Group
• User Interface Engineering
Video:
The Right Way to Wireframe by Russ Unger (YouTube)

103. Q&A

104. Slideshare address:
http://www.slideshare.net/stribs
My article on how to find an IA job:
http://blog.onwardsearch.com/2012/08/information-architecture-a-guerilla-guide-to-breaking-in/
@stribs
InfoAdditional Info

105. Design: Sketching
Wireframe & Prototyping Tools
Axure
Dreamweaver
InDesign
Visio
Design: Wireframes
Addendum:
• Grids
• Dieter Rams: 10 Principles of Good Design
• Defining Wireframes vs. Sketches, Templates, vs.
Pages

106. Grids

107. Grids
“The true benefit of using a grid is that
as you learn how to use a grid, you
start to think systemically about the
solutions you design. You start to try
and see how various details can echo
one another, how different regions of
the canvas can be reused or used for
similar things, how like elements can be
grouped together.”
– Khoi Vinh, former design Director, NYTimes.com
Design: Grids

108. GridsDesign: Grids

109. GridsDesign: Grids

110. GridsDesign: Grids

111. Grids
Self Study: Want to know more?
Learn more about design by grids:
960 Grid System
960.gs
Design by Grid
www.designbygrid.com
Hashgrid
www.hashgrid.com
Design: Grids

112. Good design is…
Good design is innovative.
Good design makes a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic.
Good design makes a product understandable.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest.
Good design is long-lasting.
Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
Good design is environmentally friendly.
Good design is as little design as possible.
© Dieter Rams, amended March 2003 and October 2009
Dieter Rams: 10 principles of good design

113. Design: SketchingDefining Sketches Versus Wireframes, Templates Versus Pages
Templates Pages
Apply to many different pages Specific, may apply to a single
page or screen
Examples:
• basic page
• category page
• product page
Examples:
• homepage
• ecommerce or transactional
form
Sketches Wireframes
Quick More time-consuming
Few details Very detailed
Not typically delivered Professional deliverable