Information architectureOrganizing and categorizing website content

5 Basic steps1. Content inventory2. Establishing a hierarchical outline3. Chunking4. Drawing diagrams5. Analysis through testing

Content inventory

• Detailed listing of all content in the site• Major database for all the pages• Usually tabulated in spreadsheets

The Content inventory sheet

1. Unique ID number2. Page title3. Page template or type4. URL5. General type of content6. Person responsible for content7. Keep/revise/discard decisions8. Create content?9. Review status

From the Web Style Guide 3rd Ed. (2009)

Hierarchical outline

• Ranking the importance of each piece of information

• From broad overviews to specific submenus• Taxonomy: use of descriptive terms• Controlled vocabulary

Five hat racksto organize information

1. Category2. Time3. Location4. Alphabetic5. Continuum

From Information Anxiety (1989): Wurman, R.

Other strategies

• Brainstorming• Card sorting• White-board sessions• Paradigm-setting

Common site organizations

• Identity• Navigation• Novelty• Org chart• Service• Flashy• Tool-oriented

CHUNKING INFORMATION

• Modular chunks• Logically organized• Convenient for readers

SITE STRUCTURE

• Organization of pages• The users predict on where to find things• Leading through logic, consistency and

familiarity

Confusing mental models

Browsing functionality

STRUCTURAL THEMES

• Sequences• Hierarchies• Webs

SEQUENCES

hierarchies

WEBS