2020-09-24

Last updated Aug 15, 2023

#design #information Sources/Information Architecture - Class

Collect and audit your data

• not just words; also images, video, audio, downloads, files, etc.
• ==Content inventory==: comprehensive list of all content in your site. usually done in a spreadsheet
  • Types:
    • Full Inventory
    • Partial Inventory
    • Content Sample

Review and understand your data

• Type of Information to Collect:
  • Address
  • Page Title
  • Page Template
  • Content Type
  • Notes
  • Taxonomy
    • how information is grouped, classified, and labelled
  • Status
  • Dates
  • Components
• ==Facet==: particular aspect/feature of something that you can use to classify something. The more facets something has, the more ways it can be organized.
  • E.G. Phones
    • Network
    • Launch
    • Body
    • Display
    • Platform
    • Memory
    • Main Camera
• ==Content Audit==: evaluation of inventoried content based on user needs and site goals
  • Criteria:
    • User Needs:
      • Interviews:
      • Surveys
      • Stories
      • Testing
    • Site Goals:
      • Briefs
      • Interviews
      • Workshops
      • Landscape
  • Criteria Questions:
    • User Needs:
      • Is it necessary for the user?
      • What does it provide the user?
      • How does this content add to the user’s overall site experience?
    • Site Goals:
      • Are there opportunities to push for donating?
      • During your engagement with the content, did you notice anything?
      • What are your impressions of the narrative experience?

Explore how the data can be organized

• ==Organization Schemes==: how types of information are classified and relationships are created between them
  • Types:
    • Exact Schemes: objective divisions between mutually exclusive information
    • Subjective Schemes: information categorized based on specific mental models

• Alphabetical: alphabetical order. useful if users already know what they’re looking for
  • E.G. Index, Find a Service, Countries List
• Geographical: when content or information is classified based on the origin of content
  • E.G. Choose your country
• Format: classification of content based on its form (i.e. photos, videos, reports, case studies)
  • E.G. Trending Videos section
• Chronological: organized content by date. useful for giving context for events and importance to recency.
  • E.G. Timeline, Publication feed

• Topic: when content is organized based on a particular subject matter. useful in grouping like content based on topics that the organization covers.
  • E.G. University majors
• Task: based on a user’s needs and the actions they take to reach their goal
  • E.G. Facebook feed; immediately shown writing post
• Audience: organizing content based on user profiles. useful when there are clear + speciic identifiers for your audiences
  • E.G. Netflix Profiles
• Metaphor: relates content groups to familiar concepts. Mostly used in apps but can harm the organization if not properly implemented
  • E.G. Folders
• Priority: based on importance of content to organization/audience
• E.G. Hero Statement