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Information Architecture

Information Architecture Damien Markey Information Architecture Investigate the importance of navigation for sites/CD productions Structuring Content – “Chunking” Common Navigational Models Their suitability for different scenarios User Paths The purpose of User Paths

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Information Architecture

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  1. Information Architecture Damien Markey

  2. Information Architecture • Investigate the importance of navigation for sites/CD productions • Structuring Content – “Chunking” • Common Navigational Models • Their suitability for different scenarios • User Paths • The purpose of User Paths • Identifying User paths from User analysis • Examples of sites and DVDs

  3. The Importance of Navigation • Without good navigation that is tailored to the users needs • Users will not find what they want • They will not provide the information the site requires • The users will become frustrated, leave and not return • Customers will be lost!

  4. Good Navigation – Build Components • Navigation should make logical sense to the user (not necessarily the site designer) • Needs to be well structured • Needs to be well signposted • Needs to suit the users needs • We will cover these through • Chunking • Design (covered here and in the design lecture) • User paths

  5. “Chunking” • Gather as much content for the site as you can • Or descriptions of content to be created • This process does as it says • Survey/Scan/Review all the content • “chunk” content into logical groups • Re-view the content • Create sub groups of content for under group headings • Stop at level of detail where pages have similar layout/links but different content

  6. Chunked site Major Groupings Minor Groupings Content Level

  7. Common Navigational Models • Directed Navigation • User is guided to a particular area e.g. • www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies • Searchable Navigation • User can search for the area they want e.g. • Google.com or Yahoo.com • Tabbed Navigation • Heavily categorised sites that show range of options e.g • www.amazon.com

  8. Navigational Models - Directed

  9. Navigational Models - Searchable

  10. Navigational Models - Tabbed

  11. Navigational Models - Linear Here the user is guided in a linear (forwards – backwards) fashion

  12. Common Navigational Models - Benefits • Directed • Good for highly segmented, niche sites such as clothing, jewellery, Music • Searchable • Good for large, unstructured, reference style sites • Tabbed • Suitable for large, broad-ranged, structured sites • Linear is useful for literary book/magazine sites • For more guidance try the “Yale Style Manual” at: http://www.webstyleguide.com

  13. Navigational Models - Design • Design should signpost the user to • Where they are • Relevant links • Return (or Exit) options • Closely linked to the tone/style of the site

  14. Paper Prototypes • These are example pages that simulate on paper • the home page • The main section pages • Main content pages • Any important transaction pages • They are not visual previews of the page but example to help you go through the user paths • A downloadable kit is available at http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/paperprototypinggraphics.asp

  15. User Paths • User paths are derived from the user cases/profiles in the definition stage • They are “typical” transactions that these users may perform on the site e.g • User wants to buy a Washing Machine • User wants the latest story • User wants to see stories on their football team • User wants to contact the company • Create user scenarios and run through your designs trying to achieve the tasks

  16. User Paths • These scenario run throughs are called the user paths • Your aim is to make them as short as possible • to avoid user frustration • and provide the exact information the user wants • These should be tied closely to your user’s needs as identified in the analysis • Once completed review your site chunks again to try and optimise the navigation

  17. Examples of good and bad navigation • We will look at several websites and DVD’s to compare good and bad navigation elements including • Good • News.bbc.co.uk • www.amazon.com • Terminator 2 DVD • Bad • Highlander DVD • www.melaniegriffith.com

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