Information Architecture R Philip Reynolds Ralph W. Steen Library Stephen F. Austin State University 1999

Sources n Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton. al/contents.html al/contents.html n Information Architecture for the World Wide Web Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville n ey/design/ ey/design/

HTML Is The Easy Part n “The major problems of our work are not so much technological as sociological in nature” Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams n The hardest part of making a good web site starts even before you turn on your computer.

An Information Architect n Clarifies Mission and Vision of web site. n Determines content and functionality n Defines organization, navigation, labeling and searching systems. n Maps out how to accommodate growth and change.

Clarify Mission and Vision of Web Site n What is the mission of your organization and how is your web site going to support that mission? n What do users need from your web site ? n What needs of the organization do you want to fulfill with your web site? n What are the political realities of your organization?

Determine Content and Functionality n What type of content do you have already? n What type of content / functionality will you need to meet you mission and goals? n How much work will be required to maintain your content and functionality? n Identify target audience(s).

Define n Organization n Navigation n Labeling n Search Systems

Map Out Growth and Change n Cyber Sprawl (shanty town) n Place to Announce Changes n A Permanent home for new products or services

HTML is the Easy Part n A great web site is created before you write any HTML n Information architecture is difficult to identify but your users will know when it is not done right. n It is easy to get carried away with fancy pictures and animation but without an effective architecture the site is sure to fail with your users.