Information Architecture Creating well structured, usable sites.

IA and Usability a structure of pages, content and features reflecting user needs and business requirements Purpose of IA and Usability work to ensure a website is constructed and designed in such a way to fulfil its objectives (user & business)

Benefits of IA and Usability Scalable Allow for changes or additions without affecting the entire site Usable Intuitive navigation, concise & consistent terminology, user oriented language & labelling Accessible People with disabilities (visual) can ‘read’ a site

IA Activities Requirement analysis Statistical usage analysis Competitor review Site Content audit Stakeholder workshops User Focus Groups Card sorting Broadcast survey (Kano Analysis) User Persona / Scenario development Wire-frames Site-map Recommendations report Sample Design concept Usability testing (lab)

Who are your Users Analyse statistics & analytics Analyse search engine usage Identify user paths Identify User Personas Focus on delivering relevant information and value to users

Analytics

User Paths Analysis

User Paths Channel Navigation

Mary Stone Age: 19 Education: Studying Humanities at Sydney University Internet connection: ADSL Location: inner Sydney CBD Computing and Web experience: Mary has been using the web since primary school and is quite familiar with general navigation and has no trouble finding university related content. On average she spends 3 hours per day on the internet (at home and university), which includes researching assignments as well as using social networking sites to socialise. Contacting friends using Facebook is an important part of Mary’s day, so she regularly signs in to her account to check for messages and updates. To her, it is the equivalent to checking her mobile phone for messages. Mary does not feel she is at risk of credit card fraud online, and regularly uses transactional sites such as eBay and Amazon, to purchase books and other personal items. Persona Development User Personas

Card Sorting - Sitemap

Usability Easy-to-use navigation Clear labelling (user oriented) Supportive design Clear calls-to-action Accessible site

IA and Design Great websites offer well structured IA and creative, usable Design Great websites are not only redesigned but continuously improved