3. COMPLEX TAXONOMY
A rich dataset that has many objects with various attributes.
Something people will need to navigate.
Examples:
‣ Product Catalogs
‣ User Directories
‣ Article Archives
4. WHY WE CARE
"Most companies are so confused, the last thing they need is
more data." - @tamaraadlin
The same is true of people. They need the right data.
5. KEY POINTS
1. Navigation + search = foundation
2. Progressive disclosure: consider when data is presented
3. Categorization can be dynamic and powerful
4. Discovery engines add value
6. NAVIGATION AND SEARCH
are always best together. Think peanut butter and jelly.
‣ Top levels should remain constant
‣ Show where the user is
‣ Simple and advanced search
‣ Faceted navigation
7. CASCADING MENU
GUIDELINES
• Avoid 3+ levels of
cascades
• Poor Contrast
• Allow adequate vertical
margins to support selection
www.msn.com (2007)
12. GOAL BASED SEARCH
Provide appropriate
content for selection
(image, rating, etc)
13. KEY POINTS
1. Navigation + search = foundation
2. Progressive disclosure: consider when data is presented
3. Categorization can be dynamic and powerful
4. Discovery engines add value
15. INFORMATION HIERARCHY
Help users see the most important information.
Then, show more details upon request.
But make it efficient.
an efficient interface (for programmers)
18. KEY POINTS
1. Navigation + search = foundation
2. Progressive disclosure: consider when data is presented
3. Categorization can be dynamic and powerful
4. Discovery engines add value
19. CATEGORIZATION
is where we need to flex our design muscle. We can let
people slice through data in interesting ways.
25. KEY POINTS
1. Navigation + search = foundation
2. Progressive disclosure: consider when data is presented
3. Categorization can be dynamic and powerful
4. Discovery engines add value
30. CASE STUDY
Tyco Electronics
Global Provider of Electronics
Over 500,000 Products
Typical User: Design Engineer
Worldwide Audience
Over 50 recent corporate acquisitions
Product Catalogs Stacked 1 Meter High
User Centered Design Approach To Redesign
33. NEW DESIGN GOALS
Visual and textual browse
Tabs for search strategies
Good information ‘Scent’
Nearby Search with part # default
‣ Strong keyboard focus
39. REMEMBER
Taxonomies are getting more complex
Adapt your navigation strategies to meet the new information
challenges
Shield users from the complexity
Lower the efficiency cost of navigation
Leverage design patterns to repeat success
40. THANK YOU!
Please leave your card on the front or back table for a FREE
“Taxonomy Checklist”
Loren Baxter
twitter: @lorenbaxter
Visit our Web sites at
www.classicsys.com
www.guiguide.com
Email: jimh@classicsys.com
Phone: 925-237-2581