Information Architecture and Internet - Lecture 12

Information Architecture and InternetLecture 12Summary of Previous LectureThe InternetHistoryResource that can be sharedApplications of InternetClient/Server ArchitectureInternet Service ProvidersHTMLWeb BrowsersSummary of Previous LectureSearching the WebTips and TechniquesSearch ProcessDifferent Web search toolsOutlook ExpressToday’s LectureIntranet Webpage and Website Web servers Static Website and Dynamic WebsitesPurpose of Information Architecture and basic problem.Common MistakesInformation Architecture DefinedInformation ArchitectToday's LectureMain Concepts of Information ArchitectureStructuring, organizing and LabelingFinding and ManagingArt and scienceLibrary and WWWDifference between books and websitesDifference between libraries and websitesDifferent roles of Information ArchitectIA Job and RoleToday’s LectureWhy IA matters?Example design structure of a University website.Structural schemes for website design.Navigation system in a websiteIntranetA private network of any company.Resources are shared within the organization.Allows small group of people to access specific information.E.g. Journals and Articles Access on COMSATS Intranet, Not permitted outside.COMSATS LAB Intranet – Students are using network ResourcesWebpage and WebsiteA web page is one single page of information, while a website is made up of a number of different web pages connected by links. Website is a set of related web pages containing content (media) such as text, images, video, audio, etc. Web serversA web server is a computer which host websites.Hosted website can be accessible via network such as the Internet or Intranet through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator. How Does the Web Work?Your computerFolder that your site is saved inServerComputersaround theworldStatic WebsiteVisitors are not able to control information they receive using static web site.Simple Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) based website is a static website.Contents of the website do not change by itself.Dynamic WebsitesA dynamic website is one that changes or customizes itself frequently and automatically, based on certain criteria. A backend database is mostly associated with dynamic websites.Contents of the website are changed on the change in database.Users are able to customize their search preferences.Static Vs Dynamic WebsitesDefining the purposeIf a website is difficult to use; most people leave itIf an Intranet site is difficult to use; most companies will suffer productivity issuesLow intranet usability costs the world economy up to or more than $100 billion/year in lost employee productivity. Jakob Nielsen, www.useit.comExample of Poorly Designed WebsiteExample of Worst Web Page With Bundle of InformationINFORMATION EXPLOSIONThe ProblemOrganizations carry huge volume of day to day business data.Mostly stored in Database Systems.Questions arises how to put data on organization web.Web DesignInformation PresentationEase of useCommon MistakesLot of time spent on efficient information storage and retrieval, small time to present it.Not using Graphical User Interfacing (GUI) properly.Unknown concepts related Human Computer Interaction (HCI).Technical people considered as Business Development Managers.Let them present information whatever they want.ResultInformation search becomes cumbersome. Solution: understand Information Architecture for WWW.A big ChaosImagine a book store with organization scheme.Thousands of books are simply tossed into huge pile.Gould's Book Arcade, Australia.Nearly Impossible to find a book by TopicWhat is Information Architecture? The art and science of structuring and classifying web sites and intranets to help people find and manage information. When users look for answers (on your website) and find them in the right place you have betterSales (e-commerce)service (marketing)and productivity (good Intranet usage).Information Architect (IA)The individual who organizes the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear.A person who creates the structure or map of information which allows others to find their personal paths to knowledge.Woman, R.S. and Bradford, P. (eds). (1996). Information Architects. Zurich, Switzerland: Graphis Press.Information architecture is not newManaging and presenting data remained a KEY issue in history. For example consider the case of Library. The Library of Alexandria, in Egypt, was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world (330 B.C.).It housed 120 scroll bibliography.Main concepts of IAStructuring, organizing and LabelingFinding and ManagingArt and ScienceStructuring, Organizing and LabelingSOL = It’s what IA isDefining granularity* and deciding how to relate them to one anotherGrouping into meaningful categoriesLabeling means what to call those categoriesHow then to decide on the navigation from those choicesGranularity refers to relative size or chunks of information; varying levels could be journal issue, article, paragraph or sentenceFinding and Managing“Findability is a critical success factor for overall usability.”Users have the option of:SearchingBrowsingAskingand if they can’t find “it” then the site fails.Finding and ManagingWhile designing a website, Information Architect must balance the needs of the user and the goals of the business (Return on Investment).But this is hard to doFinding and ManagingDewey Decimal SystemA proprietary system of library classification developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876.Greatly modified and expanded in the course of the twenty-two major revisions, the most recent in 2004.Attempts to divide knowledge in classes and sub-classes.Books are placed on shelf in numerical order.Art and ScienceIA must rely on experience, intuition and creativity. You must be willing to take risks and trust your imagination.It is often difficult to understand. Library and World Wide WebIn the similar fashion, we organize library books, information in web sites can also be organized. Information Architecture of a Library is essential to study information architecture of web sites.Library, Books and WWWDifference between books and websites.Difference between libraries and WebsitesBrowsing in a Library and Internet for a BookBoth provides ordered book browsing faciltiyDifferent Roles of Information ArchitectExplaining different jobs of IA in his/her own wordings,IA as Internet Librarian“I'm an information architect. I organize huge amounts of information on big web sites and intranets so that people can actually find what they're looking for. Think of me as an Internet librarian." IA as online merchandiser"I am an information architect. I help my company by making it easy for customers to find our products on our web site. I'm a kind of online merchandiser. I apply one-to-one marketing concepts on the Internet." Different Roles of Information ArchitectIA as Information load organizer."I am an information architect. I'm the one who takes on that information overload problem that everyone's been complaining about lately." Different Roles of Information ArchitectInformation Architect JobIA focuses on the structure or organization of a web site.How the different pages of the site relate to one another.It involves such activities asContent analysis and planningOrganization of the pagesProviding cues to help users orient themselvesLabeling, search techniques, and navigation designInformation Architect JobIA Jobs is not related toGraphic DesignerScientistSoftware Developers In typical web design project, the IA is found between the administrative team and the development team An important role for the IA is as boundary spanner between these groupsProducers, project managers, editorial staffGraphic designers, programmers, database designers IAInformation Architect RoleWhy Information Architecture Matters?Several reasons exists, includingReturn on InvestmentCost of finding informationValue of educationCost of constructionCost of maintenanceCost of trainingThe value of the brandReturn on InvestmentHow much an organization invested on developing the web site and what is the possible benefit out of it.Consider a case in which an organization spent a lot of money on developing, hosting and maintaining a web site and user feels not comfortable with it.Cost of Finding Information What does it cost if every employee in any company spends an extra five minutes per day struggling to find answers on the intranet?What will be the cost of frustrating the customers with a poorly organized web site?How many bad decisions are made every day in your organization because employees didn't find the information they needed?How many customers do you lose because they couldn't find the product they want on your web site?Value of EducationValue of educating the users about new products and services on your website is really beneficial.This is only possible through interactive web design.Cost of constructionCost of designing and building a website.How much it will cost when after few months later, you decide to change the website because it does not support search and does not scale.Cost of maintenancePeople who update and manage website must know where to put new content and when to remove outdated contents on the company’s website.Cost of trainingHow much it cost to train the employees to use the website.For example a call center website.How much a company can save if it is not complicated to use.The value of the brandNo matter how beautiful your web site, if customers can't find what they need, your brand loses value in their eyes.HomeA1A2A3A4A5A6A7A8A9A10A11A3.1A3.2A3.3A3.4A3.5A3.1.1A3.1.2A3.1.3A3.1.4A3.1.5A3.1.3.1Key:HomeA3: ProgramsA3.1: MISA3.1.3: Current curriculumA3.1.3.1: New curriculumExample design of a university websiteStructural schemes for designMany types of structure scheme to design a website can be used, this includesHierarchical (flat and broad)Hierarchical (narrow and deep)A wheelSequential (an entry way into and an exit from a core)An organic hypertext structureFramesSub-sitesDatabase modelHierarchical (flat and broad)Hierarchical (narrow and deep)The WheelSequentialHyperlinked structureFramesHomeHomeSub siteSub sitesDatabase ModelHomeDBDBDBTypes of Navigation system in a WebsiteHierarchicalThe navigation follows the tree structureThis is a rigid system without linking across branchesContextual NavigationGlobal navigationCan reach any page from any other pageThis has limits depending on the size of the siteLocal navigationCan reach any page from any other page in the sub siteSite mapContextual NavigationPage TitlePage content. 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Page content.Local NavigationGlobal NavigationLearn About Our Organization Announcements and Initiatives Events and Conferences Publications and E-Mail Lists About [name] Organization and Governance Policies Contact Us FAQs About the [name] Web SiteSee AlsoSummer ProgramABC Initiative[name]: [name].comQuestions or comments?[sponsor credits and logos]Please contact us name [graphic logo]blurb blurb blurb blurbblurb blurb blurbHome | Site Map | Search Full Holdings | Topical Archives | Membership | HelpSite design and basic questionsWhere am I?What can I do here?Where can I go?SummaryIn today’s lectureWe overviewed the essential concepts related the information architecture.We definedIntranetWeb page and web siteWe understood how to structure the web site and how to organize the contents of a web site.This is a growing and increasingly important subject today.