sva workshop - fall 121011

Introduction to Information Architecture & DesignSchool of Visual Arts | December 2011Robert Stribley

photo by davidteter on flickr

Introduction

This presentation will be available on SlideShare following today’s workshop: http://www.slideshare.net/stribs

http://www.slideshare.net/stribs

Introduction

Aussie-Style Liquorice

Chocolate display, Xocolatti, SoHo, New York

Body Gel, Sabon, SoHo, New York

Peppers, Union Square Market, New York

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

Butterflies at the American Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Conservatory.

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/butterflies/

Intro

Robert Stribley

• I’m a senior information architect at Razorfish

• I write music and arts reviews• I produce a promote a variety show

• I photograph various things• I drink coffee

Introduction

Clients include:• Bank of America, Wachovia• JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley,

Oppenheimer Funds, Smith Barney, • Boston Scientific, Nasonex• Choice Hotels• Computer Associates, EMC• Ford• Nextel• Red Cross• Travel Channel, Women’s Wear Daily

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

Intro

Goals of this workshop

• Understand the basic concepts of user experience design

• Experience the general process and techniques used on a design project

• Review the basic deliverables an information architect develops within a project

Introduction

Agenda

Agenda

Morning• Background• Design Process• Our Project• User Research• Competitive Review• Personas

• Lunch

Agenda

Agenda

Afternoon•Card Sorting•Site Maps•Page Types•Grids•Navigation•Sketching•Wireframes•Q&A

Agenda

Background

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

Background

The Information Architecture Institute defines information architecture as “the art and science of organizing and labeling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability.”


Background

"It's hard to say who really is an information architect. In some sense, we all are.”— Alex Wright, Author Glut


userscontent

context

IA


interface

information architecture


skin

skeleton


Design Process

metaphor: architectural plans

Flickr.com: Cornell University Library

Flickr.com: Cornell University Library


Background: History

A Brief History of IA

1975 • Richard Saul Wurman coined the term

“information architecture” to describe the field now more likely described as “information design”

1994• Formation of Argus Associates in Ann Arbor,

WI, 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

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’sThe Elements of User Experience

2011• 12th Annual IA Summit held in Denver, CO

Background: History

Design Process

Design Process

Discovery Definition Design Development

Design Process

Design Process


• Stakeholder interviewers• Business requirements• Competitive & comparative audits• User research• Site inventory

Design Process

Design Process


•Personas•Content & meta data audits•Card sorts•Use cases•Mood boards•Sketching•Site maps•Creative brief•UX brief

Design Process

Design Process


• Site maps• Task flows•Sketching• Wireframes• Stakeholder reviews• Prototypes• Usability testing• Visual design•Functional specifications

Design Process

Design Process


• Site development• User acceptance

testing• Quality

assurance• Usability testing

Design Process

Background

IA Deliverables

site map

feature/functionality inventory

comparative/competitive review

requirements document

personas

sketches

use cases

user flows prototype

wireframes

discover designdefine

experience brief

Deliverables

Background

IA Deliverables

site map

feature/functionality inventory

comparative/competitive review

requirements document

personas

use cases

user flows prototype

wireframes

discover designdefine

experience brief

visual design

sketches

Deliverables

Our Project

What to do?

Our Project

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

Discover

User Research

User Research in Copenhagen’s Elderly Homes

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 Rosenfield & Peter Morville

Discovery: User Research

User Research

Methodology• Focus Groups• Surveys• Interviews

Goals• Identify patterns and trends in user behavior,

tasks, preferences, obstacles.


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?


Competitive Review

image by brandon schauer

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

Competitive Review

Methodology• Heuristic Evaluation

• Usability Criteria

• Scorecard

Goals• Review and analyze competitor sites according to

particular criteria

• Draw key findings, which can influence and guide IA through the design phase

Also:

• Comparative Reviews


Competitive Review

Heuristic Evaluation

Ten Usability Heuristics by Jakob Nielsen

• Visibility of system status

• Match between system and the real world

• User control and freedom

• Consistency and standards

• Error prevention

• Recognition rather than recall

• Flexibility and efficiency of use

• Aesthetic and minimalist design

• Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

• Help and documentation

Self Study:

For a more detailed explanation of these heuristics, see Nielsen’s explanation here: http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html


http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

Competitive Review

Examples of Usability Criteria

Note: These examples are not intended to provide a comprehensive listing. Appropriate criteria may 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 title 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?


Competitive Review

Competitors


Competitive Review: Flavorpill

Home Page•Featured Event Strip•Search•Featured Event•What’s Happening•Recently Added•Coming Up•Featured Venue•Giveaways•New York Guide


Navigation

Primary

•Events

•Editor Picks

•Featured Venues

•Giveaways

Utility

•City Dropdown

•Log In/Log Out

•SignUp/ Profile

•Social (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr)

•iPhone App

•Search

Features & Functionality•Search•Calendar•Filtering•Google maps•Comments•Profile

Home Page•Browse Events

•Event Carousel

•Events Listing

•My Events

•Calendar

•Pandora/iTunes/Last.fm integration

•Link to Beta version

Competitive Review: Going.comDiscovery: Competitive Review

NavigationPrimary

•My Events

•Friends

•More

•Add an Event

Secondary

•Help

•My Account

•Search

•Sign in/Sign out

Features & Functionality•Search•Calendar•Profiles •Comments•Event posting and promoting•RSVP online/Buy tickets•Event filtering/sorting•Yahoo! Maps

Competitive Review: NYCgo.comDiscovery: Competitive Review

Functionality• Search• Google maps• Calendar• Find an event• Filtering• MyNYC

NavigationPrimary

•Top Attractions

•What to Do

•Where to Stay

•Plan Your Trip

•Deals

•Broadway

•NYC for the Holidays

•Free

•NYC Shop

Secondary

•Travel Trade

•Meeting Planners

•Membership

•Press

Utility

•Search

•Language Selector

•Temperature

•Twitter, Facebook, Email

Home Page

•Search

•This Week carousel

•NYC Highlights

•Events calendar

•Top 5 Events

•Plan Your Trip

•Deals & Offers

Competitive Review

Key Findings• Search placed prominently on each site

• Clear need for and emphasis upon filtering events

• Calendars provide obvious benefit, but aren’t always prominent

• Profiles and community features are also common, but handled with varying degrees of detail, success

• Free events are often highlighted

• Event detail pages vary, may have maps, RSVP, sharing, rating, commenting functionality

• Displaying other venues and restaurants adds utility

• Maps prove helpful, especially to out-of-towners

• The ability to add or promote an event is not always present or prominent


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?


Define

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.

http://personas.media.mit.edu/

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: PersonasDefinition: Personas

Personas

Characteristics of Effective Personas

• Varied and distinct• Detailed• Not weighed down with minutiae• Tied into business-specific goals• Backed by data


Personas

Methodology• Cluster Analysis

Goals• Create a narrative based on real data to

illustrate user behavior, motivations, goals


Small Budget

Big Budget

PlannerPromoter



SabrinaJenny DonnyJerry

Sabrina, 27The party plannerLocation: Gramercy ParkAttitude: Organized, outgoingFinancial Perspective: Generous, bit of spendthriftOnline Habits: Avid user of social networking sites,

Twitter, Facebook, etcEvents: Wine tastings, gallery openingsQuote: “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: PersonasDefinition: Personas

Jerry, 44The out-of-townerLocation:Cincinnati, OHAttitude: Casual, yet adventurousFinancial Perspective: Moderate spenderOnline Habits: Utilitarian use of the Web to research

trips, read about the arts and pay bills

Events: Museums, visiting landmarks, toursQuote: “I’m visiting the Big Apple with my wife

and we want to check out some art-related events.”

Small Budget

Big Budget

PlannerPromoter


Personas

Donny, 38The local comedianLocation: East VillageAttitude: Laidback, loosely organizedFinancial Perspective: Frugal, paycheck to paycheckOnline Habits: Spends time networking, promoting his act

online, haunts comedy sitesEvents: Comedy slams, variety showsQuote: “I land a few comedy gigs around the city

and I want to promote them better.”

Small Budget

Big Budget

PlannedPromoter


Jenny, 33The professional promoterLocation: WilliamsburgAttitude: Busy, disciplined, professionalFinancial Perspective: Healthy budget for promotions andadvertisingOnline Habits: Heavy use of social networking sites both

professionally and personally, shops online

Events: Small gigs, big concerts, DJ setsQuote:“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


Class Exercise: Personas


In regards to Events.com,

• 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

Lunch Break

Agenda

Afternoon•Card Sorting•Site Maps•Page Types•Grids•Navigation•Sketching•Wireframes•Q&A

AgendaAgenda

Card Sorting

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 SortingDefinition: Card Sorting

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 groups of content based on users’ perspectives

Self Study:

"Card sorting: a definitive guide" by Donna Spencer and Todd Warfel, Boxes and Arrows, 2004/04/07


http://websort.net/

http://www.optimalworkshop.com/

http://www.sotech.com/

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/card_sorting_a_definitive_guide

Class Exercise: Card Sorting

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


Class Exercise: Card Sorting

Now, as a group:

•Take a few minutes to organize your events into categories (group & label them)

•Then we’ll share some categories


Card Sorting: Next Steps

With the results of a card sort we then can:

• Build consensus• Refine terminology• Create a site map• Help define navigation


Design

Site Maps

Conceptual DesignDesign: Site MapsDesign: 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


Site map for Men‘s section of designer clothing site


Site map by Kazi Shanto, Louise Blouin Media

http://www.louiseblouinmedia.com/




Biocarta Site map, Fromson Consulting

Page Types

Conceptual Design

Home Page Category Page Details Page

Design: Page TypesDesign: Page Types

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: GridsDesign: Grids

GridsDesign: GridsDesign: Grids

Grids

12 column grid


Grids

3 columns of 4 units


Grids



Grids

Variations of the 12 column grid


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


http://960.gs/

http://www.designbygrid.com/

http://www.hashgrid.com/

Navigation

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: NavigationDesign: Navigation

Areas of Navigation

• Global – universal header/footer

• Local – left nav/right nav

• Local content – text links, buttons

Styles of Navigation

• Rollover

• Dropdown

• Tabs


Adapted from Atsushi Hasegagwa’s The 7 Navigation Types of Web Sites

http://www.slideshare.net/atsushi/the-7-navigation-types-of-web-site



Grids

Mega Dropdowns


Grids

Power Footers


Sketching

Sketching Through the Ages

1485-1487Ornithopter by Leonardo da Vinci

Schematic for modern AH-64 Apache helicopter

Design: SketchingDesign: Sketching

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


Bill BuxtonSketching User Experiences

SketchingDesign: SketchingDesign: Sketching

Sketching

Any guesses what this is a sketch of?


“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


Bill BuxtonSketching 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


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

Class Exercise: Sketching

In teams, sketch your ideas.

1) Create & Promote an Event- Take 5 or so minutes first to discuss what

features belong here- Is it a single page? Multiples steps?


Design: Sketching

Class Exercise: Sketching

In teams, sketch your ideas.

1) Create & Promote an Event

2) A Homepage


Sketching Tools:

The following apps are all for the iPad

• Adobe Ideas (free)

• Bamboo Paper (free)

• Muji Notebook (3.99)

• Penultimate ($1.99)

• SketchBook Pro ($4.99)

InfoDesign: Sketching ToolsDesign: Sketching Tools

Wireframes

photo & sculpture by polly verity

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: WireframesDesign: Wireframes

http://www.fatpurple.com/2010/03/04/web-site-wireframes-samples-examples/

Design: SketchingDesign: Wireframes - ExamplesDesign: Wireframes - Examples

wireframe by Mike Rohde


wireframe by matthieu mingasson

Design: SketchingThe Right Way to Wireframe – Video by Russ UngerThe Right Way to Wireframe – Video by Russ Unger

Wireframing/Prototype Tools:

• Adobe InDesign

• Axure

• Omnigraffle (Mac)

• Microsoft Visio

• Mockingbird (online, free)

Also:

• Balsamiq

• iPlotz

• iMockups (iPad)

• Omnigraffle (iPad)

InfoDesign: Wireframing ToolsDesign: Wireframing Tools


Smashing Magazine: 35 Excellent Wireframing Resources

https://gomockingbird.com/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/01/35-excellent-wireframing-resources/



Design: Sketching

Class Exercise: Final Wireframe

In your teams, create your final deliverable.

Assign one of the following to a team member:

1) Create & Promote an Event

2) Event Detail

3) Homepage

As an individual now, you’ll create a final “wireframe,” which incorporates your team mates’ designs and feedback.

Design: WireframesDesign: Wireframes

Design: Sketching

Wireframe & Prototyping Tools

Axure

Dreamweaver

InDesign

Visio

Design: Wireframes Design: Wireframes

Develop

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:

• Dot Dot Dot, SVA Lecture Series

• IA Meetup

InfoAdditional ResourcesAdditional Resources

Web Sites:

• Alertbox

• A List Apart

• Boxes & Arrows

Organizations:

• Human Computer Interactions (HCI)

• Interaction Designers Association (IxDA)

• Usability Professionals Association (UPA)

Further Studies:

• Adaptive Path

• The Information Architecture Institute

• The IA Summit

• Pratt – Course in Information Design

• Nielsen Norman Group

• Rosenfeld Media

• User Interface Engineering

http://interactiondesign.sva.edu/events/entry/save_the_dates_dot_dot_dot/




http://www.alistapart.com/

http://www.alistapart.com/

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/

Slideshare address:


Additional credit:

Thanks to Anh Dang

InfoAdditional InfoAdditional Info


sva workshop - fall 121011

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