1. Information Architecture
Week 5

2. Agenda SILVAS, Metaphors in Web Design and Navigation Presentations
MASON, Taxonomies & Classification for Organizing Content
Project Plan Review
Lecture – Contextual design
Class Work: User Analysis

3. Thesauri, Vocabularies & Metadata
The Structure of Your Content (Part of the Plan) Models the Information for the User (Content Modeling)

4. What do we mean by Metadata?
“…descriptive information about the context, quality and condition, or characteristics…” What are some examples of metadata? Tags are used to describe documents pages images software video and audio files other content objects Why? Improved navigation and retrieval
From Rosenfeld and Morville - p 177 via dictionary.com

5. Controlled Vocabularies
Establish Consistencies For the Content & Developers Education for the user - shaping behavior Just Synonyms? Lists of Equivalents (Index) Aliases (Authority File) “Synonym Ring” Based on User’s Understanding Improved Upon by IA Iterative Process to Discover Alternate Words & Concepts
Synonym Rings not just for tuning search.

6. Building Your “Authority File”
List of preferred terms or acceptable values p180
The Mission Statement for your Content
Acronyms, Abbreviations
Multiple terms (“term rotation”?)
Cases (Upper, Lower and Mixed)
Labels for Button & Graphics too
Use a Central File to Keep Current
Authority.txt
Keep updated throughout the project

7. Classification Schemes
A hierarchical arrangement of preferred terms Taxonomies are both visible and invisible to the user Front End Users (Personalized) Interface (Browse) Back End Information Architecture Content Management System (Search) Approaches Top-Down & Bottom-Up Content & Task

8. Semantic Relationships
Equivalence Hierarchical Strong (Inherited) City - Austin Instance (Classes) Texas - Austin Associative Based on Understanding of Content & user

9. Thesaurus in Action
Preferred Term Variant Term (synonyms) Broader Term (preferred’s parent) Narrower Term (preferred’s child) Related (“see also”, synonyms) Use (rules for where and when) Scope (restricts meaning)

10. Faceted Classification
“How do I describe this?” -Ranganathan
Multiple Dimensions
Now More Applicable to Digital Information
Personality, Matter, Energy, Space, Time
Topic, Product, Document Type, Audience, Geography, Price

11. Taxonomy of Decisions & Actions
Purpose of the Search
Method to Find Information
Content of the Information Being Searched
GVU Survey Question
Recent instance of important information found
Taxonomic Analysis of Responses from Survey
Morrison et al 2001
Morrison, J. B., Pirolli, P., & Card, S. K. (2001). A Taxonomic Analysis of What World Wide Web Activities Significantly Impact People's Decisions and Actions. Proceedings of CHI 2001, Seattle, WA.

12. Taxonomy of Decisions & Actions (cont’d)
Purpose
Method
Content
Morrison et al 2001

13. Chapter 10 - Research
Millen, D. (2000). Rapid Ethnography: Time Deepening Strategies for HCI Field Research. Paper presented at the DIS '00, Brooklyn, NY.

14. Some Context Myths of Technology Design
People can tell you exactly what they want.
The use of technology requires a lot of training,
manuals, and support.
Facts of Technology
Improving the user experience takes more than:
simply asking the user
introspection

15. What is the system doing?
What’s Happening Here?
What is the user doing?
What is the system doing?

16. A Mismatch in Models Implementation Versus model Mental model
The user’s mental or conceptual model of the task and how it is executed does not match the system’s implementation model
Implementation
model
Versus
Mental
model

17. User’s Model vs. Engineer’s Model
What user (thinks he/she) is doing
vs.
Actual Implementation
These issues are addressed by two types of design
User Centered Design
Focus on the user’s conceptual model
Participatory Design
Human-Centered Design
System Centered Design
Code-level organization and functionality of the system
“software engineering”
Strive to make the work model invisible

18. System Centered Design
User Centered Design
System Centered Design
Implementation
model
Versus
Mental
model

19. PROCESS Imagine…. You are on a seasoned design team
Several members with skill sets both unique and overlapping
You handle problems from all kinds of domains
Often you have little prior exposure to the design problem
Your team has an incredible track record
How are you able to consistently perform?
PROCESS

20. Contextual Design
Starts with the recognition that any system embodies a way of working.
A system's function and structure forces particular strategies, language, and work flow on its users.
Successful systems offer a way of working that customers want to adopt.
Contextual Design is a method which helps a cross-functional team come to agreement on what their customers need and how to design a system for them.

21. Contextual Design Gather data from multiple users
Abstract data into a common model
Design depends on seeing the implications of the data
Design begins with a creative leap from customer data to implications for design and from implications to ideas for specific features

22. Steps in Contextual Design
Contextual Inquiry
Work Modeling
Consolidation
Visioning
User Environment Design
Interface Design and Prototyping

23. The Process in Full

24. Contextual Inquiry – finding “the real experts”
Gather Data
Observation
Interview
Participation
“Shadowing”
Learn User’s Vocabulary
Gather Artifacts
Gain an understanding of the user
HEY LOOK AT ALL THE DATA WE HAVE!
what are we gonna do with it?

25. Work Modeling Organize the data
Create shared understanding and group memory
Working on the Wall
Everyone participates
Everyone contributes
Build consensus
Models/data always up
Immersion in the data

26. Work Modeling – Types of Models
Flow Model
Communication & Coordination
Sequence Model
Detailed work steps
Artifact Model
Physical elements created to support work
Cultural Model
Constraints created by policy, culture, values
Physical Model
Physical structure of work environment

27. Flow Model - Communication & Coordination
How people’s roles are defined and how they communicate/coordinate
Pattern of work - Relationships rather than sequence
Elements
Individuals
Person or group, annotated with the roles they play (interviewee is noted with a number & title)
Bubbles
Responsibilities
List of expectations
Placed in bubble
Flow
Communication
Arrows

28. Flow Model - Communication & Coordination
Elements (cont’d)
Artifacts
Items created to support the work
Boxes on flow
Communication topic
Details of flow
Listed on arrows
Places
Areas where work gets done. Shown only when it is central to the flow
Large Box annotated with name and activity
Breakdowns
Problems on flow
Large Lightning Bolt

29. Example of a Flow Model

30. Sequence Model - Detailed work steps
Steps by which work is done, triggers that activate steps, and goals
Pattern of work
Elements
Intent – Expectations of sequence
Trigger – What activates the sequence
Steps – Actions taken
Order – Arrows, loops, branches, connecting steps
Breakdowns – Problems in performing the steps

31. Artifact Model - Physical elements supporting work
Artifacts are items used to support the work. They have structure, content, usage, and intent
An artifact model is a drawing, photocopy, or actual artifact annotated with details
Elements
Information – Content
Parts – Which are distinct in their usage
Structure – of parts, explicit and implicit
Annotations – of informal usage
Presentation – form of content when it is integral to function
Usage – when is it created, how it is used, how people move through its parts
Breakdowns – Problems in using the artifact

32. Example of Artifact Model

33. Cultural model - Constraints of policy, culture, values
“Cultural context is the mindset that people operate within and that plays a part in everything they do” p.108
Defines expectations, desires, and values
Written and unwritten policies
Elements
Influences
affect and constrain work (Bubbles)
Extent
the effect on the work (Bubble overlap)
Influence
direction of influence (Arrows)

34. Example of Cultural Model

35. Physical Model - Physical structure of work environment
Elements
Places where work is done
Structures that define spaces
Usage and movement within the space
Communication lines
Layout of artifacts/tools

36. Consolidation Look across multiple users
Common practices
Divergent practices
Going from a few to a large population
Inductive Process
Individuals
Whole User
Population

37. The Consolidation Process
For each model (flow, sequence, artifact, physical, & cultural):
Review model
Ask what is important about this model?
What current manual roles, tasks, steps, communication flows might better be automated?
What successful manual approaches can be used as a metaphor for design? (e.g., paper memory aids)
What breakdowns might be remedied?

38. Consolidation – The Affinity Diagram
Organizes individual notes into a hierarchy of common issues
How-To
In a group session each member has their field notes and a pad of post-its
One note is put-up and others look for similar notes that seem to go with it
Interview notes are placed together if they have an “affinity” – similar issues, intent, problems
Notes are given a group name that states the issue which binds them together
SPONSORED BY M Corporation

39. Example of An Affinity Diagram
Trip Totem Project

40. Consolidation – The Affinity Diagram

41. Creating the Vision “Grounded Brainstorming”
Brainstorming because ideas are not evaluated & should flow freely
“Grounded” because ideas are driven by the data on customers’ work practices
Draw ideas on flip chart as team throws them out
Use ideas from “starting points”
Incorporate each idea into a coherent story for a redesigned work process
Create in the form of diagram, much like the flow model, but revised with new artifacts, communication processes, strategies

42. User Environment Design
Create an explicit representation of the system work model
An Abstract "floor plan" of the new system
Shows each part of the system –
"rooms" that offer certain functionality
how each supports the user’s work
links between the rooms describing their relationships
NOT tied to any particular user interface
supports roll out sequential rollout of features
supports development across multiple implementation teams
Easily translated into a blueprint or site plan, developed into a prototype and tested

43. Example of a UED

44. An alternative technique - Personas
A user archetype used to guide decisions about product features
By designing for the archetype—whose goals and behavior patterns are well understood—you can satisfy the broader group of people represented by that archetype.
In most cases, personas are synthesized from a series of ethnographic interviews with real people, then captured in 1-2 page descriptions that include behavior patterns, goals, skills, attitudes, and environment, with a few fictional personal details to bring the persona to life.
For each product, or sometimes for each set of tools within a product, there is a small set of personas, one of whom is the primary focus for the design.

45. Rapid Ethnography
Person-centered field work done in natural settings holistic, observing the complete context perspective of the consumer Like Rapid Prototyping, Usability Inspection & Discount Usability Ethnography People (Practice) Environments (Native) Activities (Context) Cultural Observation and Analysis Elicit User Requirements Millen 2000
Millen, D. (2000). Rapid Ethnography: Time Deepening Strategies for HCI Field Research. Paper presented at the DIS '00, Brooklyn, NY.

46. Narrow FocusShort Studies Comparisons to Other Studies
Rapid Ethnography pt. 2
Narrow FocusShort Studies
Comparisons to Other Studies
Zoom in On Key Activities
Multiple Datasets (Critical Incidents)
Observations
Recording
Activity Walkthroughs
Interviews (Structured)
Selection of Instances that Yield Incidents
Key Times
Key Users

47. Automated Data Analysis Team Data Analysis
Rapid Ethnography pt. 3
Automated Data Analysis
Team Data Analysis
Scenario Analysis (storyboards)
Pictorial Storytelling (metaphors)
Lightweight Deliverables
Drawings (Sketches)
Notes (not Reports)
Incomplete
Prototypes
Cognitive Mapping (assumptive)
Substitute for Full or Complete Studies

48. Class Work: Who Will Use the Site?
Who are your target users? What do you want users to get from your site? Is the site a Searching site? A Browsing and Learning site?

49. Home Work: User Analysis
Rapid Ethnography – go find some of those users What do your users have in common? What are their differences? What design decisions need to be specifically planned for as essential for your users? What will the information on your site be used for?

50. For Next Week
Presentations TSE, User IA – blogs, RSS and WIKIs FOGLE, IA & Web Advertising WHITWORTH, Navigation & menus MCDAVID, Search Pages and Results Rosenfeld, Information Architecture: Chapters 7 & 8 Choo, C. W., Detlor, B., & Turnbull, D. (2000). Information Seeking on the Web: An Integrated Model of Browsing and Searching. First Monday, 5(2). Tauscher, L. M., & Greenberg, S. (1997). Revisitation patterns in World Wide Web navigation. Paper presented at the ACM SIGCHI '97, Atlanta, GA. Site Concept Deliverable

51. Site Concept Deliverable For Next Week
Sitemap diagram of your proposed project One page, printed User Research Document What did you do? Who did you find? What did you learn? User model (scenario starter) What the site is about In two sentences (at most) Briefly describe Who will use the site Why? When?

52. Backup

53. Human Information Behavior
Information Behavior – The totality of our interaction with information
Information Seeking – Purposive and as a consequence of need
Information Searching – Thought and action surrounding the interaction with info systems
Information Use -
Physical Actions – highlighting, bookmarking
Mental Actions – consideration of conflicting information
Wilson 2001

54. New Models of Info Behavior – Global Model