Information Architecture

1
Information Architecture Design

• Week 9 Schedule
• Design Critiques Due Today
• Design for the Web
• Other Readings
• Research Topic Presentations

2
IA Issues

• IA as Hub of Design Process
• Project Planning
• Analysis
• Design
• Web Design
• Web Development
• Verification
• Your IA Credentials
• Toolsmiths Craftsmen
• Products
• Leader by Example

3
Design of Sites - designofsites.com

• DENIM
• Earlier Design Stages Progressive Refinement
• Sitemaps and Storyboards
• Schematics and Mockups of Pages
• Current Applications Force Fidelity on the Design
• Sketching and Evaluation
• WebQuilt
• Capturing and Visualizing Web Use
• Proxy Inferencer - Graphing Visualization
• Re-Design Site Maps (Others)
• Testing Use By Observing (Many) Users (Remotely)

4
Semantic Web

• bring structure to the meaningful content of Web
  pages, creating an environment where software
  agents roaming from page to page can readily
  carry out sophisticated tasks for users
  (Berners-Lee, 2001)
• Meaningful?
• Content?
• Agents?
• Tasks?

5
Semantic Web Elements

• Expressing Meaning
• Knowledge Representation
• Ontologies
• Agents
• Evolution of Knowledge

6
Expressing Meaning

• Documents for People
• Information for Systems
• Keywords and Their Meanings
• Real World Rules
• Real World Limitations
• Extension of the Current Web
• Decentralized
• IA Applications
• Metainformation Definition
• Design Implementation
• Interface Research and Development

7
Knowledge Representation

• Structured Collections of Information
• Sets of Inference Rules
• Automated Reasoning
• Without Centralized Control
• Massive Concurrency Coordination
• Massive Complexity of Interpretations
• IA Applications
• Adapting the Rules for Systems (Displays)
• Presenting Results and Actions
• XML and RDF

8
Ontologies

• Consistency of Object Classification
• Taxonomy of Object Uses
• Navigation Scheme for Information Objects
• (New) Applications to Utilize Data
• IA Applications
• Defining Ontologies
• Updating (Correcting Testing) Ontologies
• Expressing Ontologies (IIC)
• Defining Ontologies Use (Privacy)

9
Agents

• Programs That Use Semantic Web Content
• More Automated as Systems and Content Support
  Increases
• Digital Signatures
• Organized Services
• Ontology Exchanges
• Agent Interaction (Not)
• IA Applications
• Communicating Services
• Enabling Agents

10
Evolution of Knowledge

• Extend from Virtual to Physical World
• Other Devices
• Appliances
• Other Platforms
• Composite Capability/Preference Profile
• Complex Relationships and Interactions
• Extend to Individuals (Characteristics)
• Locations (Temporal)
• IA Applications
• Designing New Interfaces and Content
• Organizing Mappings of Virtual and Physical
  Interactions
• Coordinating the Semantic Web Design Process

11
Semantic Web/IA Challenges

• The Biggest Database Ever
• The ONLY Database?
• Decentralized or Partitioned?
• Concurrency? (Time)
• Currency? (Money)
• Knowledge Representation
• Computational Issues
• Cultural Issues
• Classification Issues
• IA becomes Transformed to Information
  Architecture for People and Agents
• What about People Readable Information?

12
Web Design Ideas

• Art and Zen of Web Sites
• Basic Design Ideas
• Snapshot of Earlier (prE-commerce) Design Goals
• Expand Real-World Equivalents
• Globalization
• Cultural-Specific Layouts
• Fonts
• Colors
• Metaphors
• Writing Styles
• Designing for Everyone at Once

13
Guidelines for Homepage Usability

• One Sentence Tagline
• Window Title
• Group Information in Distinct Areas
• Make (1-4) Priority Tasks Clear
• Provide Search ( Browse)
• Show Content Examples
• Headlines
• Graphics
• Whats New
• Link Names as Action Items and Keywords to
  Concepts
• Show History of Features
• Keep Navigation Simple
• Use Meaningful Graphics