Information Architecture for Internal UsersInformation Architecture for Internal Users

Anne WelshAnne WelshChambers Librarian, 18 Red Lion CourtChambers Librarian, 18 Red Lion Court

Information Officer, DrugScope,Information Officer, DrugScope,June 2003 – September 2007June 2003 – September 2007

Internet Librarian International, 8 October 2007Internet Librarian International, 8 October 2007

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

As a late addition to the programme, I’d like to thank:As a late addition to the programme, I’d like to thank:

Marydee Ojala for asking me to present;Marydee Ojala for asking me to present;

Martin Barnes (DrugScope CEO) for allowing me to Martin Barnes (DrugScope CEO) for allowing me to speak about my work for DrugScope;speak about my work for DrugScope;

Sue Batley, whose book Sue Batley, whose book Information Architecture for Information Architecture for Information ProfessionalsInformation Professionals (Chandos, 2007) provided (Chandos, 2007) provided many of the theoretical quotations in this presentation.many of the theoretical quotations in this presentation.

Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture

The Information Architecture Institute defines The Information Architecture Institute defines information architecture as:information architecture as:

The structural design of shared information The structural design of shared information environments. environments.

The art and science of organizing and labeling web The art and science of organizing and labeling web sites, intranets, online communities and software to sites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability. support usability and findability.

An emerging community of practice focused on An emerging community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.digital landscape.

http://iainstitute.org/en/about/our_mission.phphttp://iainstitute.org/en/about/our_mission.php

What Users WantWhat Users Want

““Information architecture exists to serve the Information architecture exists to serve the needs of its users. This means that system needs of its users. This means that system development has to be underpinned by a deep development has to be underpinned by a deep understanding of those users.”understanding of those users.”

~ Sue Batley. ~ Sue Batley. Information architecture for Information architecture for information professionals. information professionals. Chandos, 2007.Chandos, 2007.

~ R. Thomas ~ R. Thomas et alet al. . NHS Wales user needs study, NHS Wales user needs study, including Knowledgebase tools reportincluding Knowledgebase tools report. University of . University of Wales, Aberystwyth, 2005.Wales, Aberystwyth, 2005.

User Needs AnalysisUser Needs Analysis

Know Your User GroupKnow Your User Group

““For computers to be widely accepted and used For computers to be widely accepted and used effectively they need to be well designed. This effectively they need to be well designed. This is not to say that all systems have to be is not to say that all systems have to be designed to accommodate everyone, but that designed to accommodate everyone, but that computers should be designed for the needs computers should be designed for the needs and capabilities of the people for whom they and capabilities of the people for whom they are intended.”are intended.”

~ Preece ~ Preece et alet al. . Human-computer interaction.Human-computer interaction. Addison-Wesley, 1994.Addison-Wesley, 1994.

A Simple User ModelA Simple User Model

Shneiderman’s user categories:Shneiderman’s user categories:

• novice or first-time usersnovice or first-time users

• knowledgeable intermittent usersknowledgeable intermittent users

• expert frequent usersexpert frequent users

~ Designing the user interface: strategies for ~ Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction. effective human-computer interaction. 44thth ed. ed. Addison-Wesley, 2004.Addison-Wesley, 2004.

Internal Users’ MotivationsInternal Users’ Motivations

““In practice, there are two key reasons for a staff In practice, there are two key reasons for a staff member to come to the intranet: to find a specific piece member to come to the intranet: to find a specific piece of information, or to complete a specific task …of information, or to complete a specific task …

The most immediate consequence of the reasons staff The most immediate consequence of the reasons staff visit the intranet is that their usage is very ‘in and out’.”visit the intranet is that their usage is very ‘in and out’.”

~ James Robertson. Why staff visit the intranet. (CM ~ James Robertson. Why staff visit the intranet. (CM Briefing 2007-15), Briefing 2007-15), http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/cmb_visitingintranehttp://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/cmb_visitingintranet/pdf/CMb_VisitingIntranet.pdft/pdf/CMb_VisitingIntranet.pdf

Design for Internal UsersDesign for Internal Users

““General design principles apply to both intranets and General design principles apply to both intranets and extranets, but intranets serve a different purpose and extranets, but intranets serve a different purpose and can support denser content.”can support denser content.”

~ Sue Batley. ~ Sue Batley. Op. Cit.Op. Cit.

““For intranet designs, efficiency, memorability and For intranet designs, efficiency, memorability and error reduction become the most important usability error reduction become the most important usability attributes.”attributes.”

~ J. Nielsen. ~ J. Nielsen. Designing web usability: the practice of Designing web usability: the practice of simplicitysimplicity. New Riders, 2000.. New Riders, 2000.

The text layout on this wiki page The text layout on this wiki page resembles a word-processing resembles a word-processing packagepackage

The website reflects the external The website reflects the external user group’s differing needs in user group’s differing needs in terms of orientation, colour, terms of orientation, colour, layout, and navigation.layout, and navigation.

User ExpectationsUser Expectations

““In interacting with the environment, with In interacting with the environment, with others, and with the artefacts of technology, others, and with the artefacts of technology, people form internal, mental models of people form internal, mental models of themselves and of the things with which they themselves and of the things with which they are interacting. These models provide are interacting. These models provide predictive and explanatory power for predictive and explanatory power for understanding the interaction.”understanding the interaction.”

~ D.A. Norman and S.W. Draper. ~ D.A. Norman and S.W. Draper. User-centred system User-centred system design: new perspectives on human-computer design: new perspectives on human-computer interaction. interaction. Erlbaum, 1986.Erlbaum, 1986.

Assumed Knowledge Assumed Knowledge

In this example from the University of Limerick’s In this example from the University of Limerick’s Cataloguer’s Desktop, each of the four steps assumes Cataloguer’s Desktop, each of the four steps assumes existing procedural knowledge:existing procedural knowledge:

http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Lecturerhttp://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Lecturer

This process-driven navigation This process-driven navigation only works in an internal only works in an internal environment, with a shared idea environment, with a shared idea about the structure of tasks.about the structure of tasks.

The website shows more white The website shows more white space and a variety of routes space and a variety of routes through the site.through the site.

Information Architecture 2.0Information Architecture 2.0

~ Michael Priestley. Information architecture for Web 2.0 ~ Michael Priestley. Information architecture for Web 2.0 technologies: designing content that matters. Corporate technologies: designing content that matters. Corporate User Technologies, January 2007.User Technologies, January 2007.

http://dita.xml.org/sites/dita.xml.org/files/contentweek2007-mpriestley.ppt#24http://dita.xml.org/sites/dita.xml.org/files/contentweek2007-mpriestley.ppt#24

User-Generated Content User-Generated Content

Queries in ActionQueries in Action

http://collectionsatmac.wetpaint.com/page/Receiving+Items+Shelf-http://collectionsatmac.wetpaint.com/page/Receiving+Items+Shelf-Ready+%28Firm+Orders%29/thread/672594/Call+NumberReady+%28Firm+Orders%29/thread/672594/Call+Number

From McMaster University’s From McMaster University’s Collection Services Wiki:Collection Services Wiki:

A Community of UsersA Community of Users

http://collectionsatmac.wetpaint.com/http://collectionsatmac.wetpaint.com/

Knowledge AggregationKnowledge Aggregation

Katie Robertson, DrugScope Intern – Training Notes

Ong’s Model of Secondary OralityOng’s Model of Secondary Orality

http://innovateonline.info/extra.php?id=980http://innovateonline.info/extra.php?id=980

Information 2.0: Information 2.0:

From Architecture to Garden Design?From Architecture to Garden Design?

Contact DetailsContact Details