Download Information Architects

Information Architects
Information Design
Information Architects
• Someone who organizes material, information.
• In most cases, this is for the Web.
• Problem:
– IAs typically base their work on intuition, with limited
scientific basis or systematic methodology.
Information Architects
Specialize In
• User Needs and User Modeling.
• Quanitative and Qualitative Analysis.
• Business Analysis.
• User Interface Design & Evaluation.
Usability Engineers
• Someone that specializes in usability
design and evaluation of products.
• Works more on the evaluation end.
Webmaster
• Someone who maintains a website.
• System Administrator.
• Problem:
– Webmasters, try to do Information
Architecture and design.
User Model vs. Conceptual Model
• IA must communicate with the user.
• Prototyping
Prototyping
• Problem
– Users get caught up in visual design and
interactions.
– Users don’t focus on information design.
• Solution
– Separate visual “look and feel” from
content.
Wire Frames
• Web pages with content only, no images.
• Place holders for images.
• Users interact with wire frames.
• Focus is on content not “look and feel”
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Wire Frames
• Graphic designers work independently
of IA.
• Gives the users, Graphic designers, etc.
a common framework to use.
Information Design
• Organize content according to user’s
view.
• Database or relational design helps.
• Website’s organization should afford
information relationships.