About the Book
Some Web sites "work" and some don't. Good Web site consultants know that you can't just jump in and start writing HTML, the same way you can't build a house by just pouring a foundation and putting up some walls. You need to know who will be using the site, and what they'll be using it for. You need some idea of what you'd like to draw their attention to during their visit. Overall, you need a strong, cohesive vision for the site that makes it both distinctive and usable. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web is about applying the principles of architecture and library science to Web site design. Each Web site is like a public building, available for tourists and regulars alike to breeze through at their leisure. The job of the architect is to set up the framework for the site to make it comfortable and inviting for people to visit, relax in, and perhaps even return to someday. Most books on Web development concentrate either on the aesthetics or the mechanics of the site. This book is about the framework that holds the two together. With this book, you learn how to design Web sites and intranets that support growth, management, and ease of use.
Special attention is given to: The process behind architecting a large, complex site Web site hierarchy design and organization Techniques for making your site easier to search Information Architecture for the World Wide Web is for Webmasters, designers, and anyone else involved in building a Web site. It's for novice Web designers who, from the start, want to avoid the traps that result in poorly designed sites. It's for experienced Web designers who have already created sites but realize that something "is missing" from their sites and want to improve them. It's for programmers and administrators who are comfortable with HTML, CGI, and Java but want to understand how to organize their Web pages into a cohesive site. The authors are two of the principals of Argus Associates, a Web consulting firm. At Argus, they have created information architectures for Web sites and intranets of some of the largest companies in the United States, including Chrysler Corporation, Barron's, and Dow Chemical.
Table of Contents:
Foreword. Preface. 1. What Makes a Web Site Work Consumer Sensitivity Boot Camp If You Don't Like to Exercise... 2. Introduction to Information Architecture The Role of the Information Architect Who Should Be the Information Architect? Collaboration and Communication. 3. Organizing Information Organizational Challenges Organizing Web Sites and Intranets Creating Cohesive Organization Systems. 4. Designing Navigation Systems Browser Navigation Features Building Context Improving Flexibility Types of Navigation Systems Integrated Navigation Elements Remote Navigation Elements Designing Elegant Navigation Systems. 5. Labeling Systems Why You Should Care About Labeling Labeling Systems, Not Labels Types of Labeling Systems Creating Effective Labeling Systems Fine-Tuning the Labeling System Non-Representational Labeling Systems A Double Challenge. 6. Searching Systems Searching and Your Web Site Understanding How Users Search Designing the Search Interface In an Ideal World: The Reference Interview Indexing the Right Stuff To Search or Not To Search? 7. Research Getting Started Defining Goals Learning About the Intended Audiences Identifying Content and Function Requirements Grouping Content. 8. Conceptual Design Brainstorming with White Boards and Flip Charts Metaphor Exploration Scenarios High-Level Architecture Blueprints Architectural Page Mockups Design Sketches Web-Based Prototypes. 9. Production and Operations Detailed Architecture Blueprints Content Mapping Web Page Inventory Point-of-Production Architecture Architecture Style Guides Learning from Users. 10. Information Architecture in Action Archipelagoes of Information A Case Study: Henry Ford Health System Selected Bibliography Index
About the Author :
Lou Rosenfeld is president of Argus Associates. A leading information architecture evangelist, Lou co-writes the regular "Web Architect" column for Web Review magazine, and has written and edited numerous other books, book chapters, and scholarly articles. Lou also regularly presents at such conferences as Web Design & Development, Internet World, and COMDEX. Lou holds a masters in information and library studies and a B.A. in history, both from The University of Michigan. Luckily for him, the global Internet began to gain steam just after he completed his MILS degree in 1990, giving him a nontraditional setting to try out newly acquired skills in information science and librarianship. While at The University of Michigan, he did get some traditional library experience, and also worked as a researcher at the College of Engineering. In 1993, he founded a popular Internet research service, the Argus Clearinghouse (http://www.clearinghouse.net), based on the principles of librarianship. Before burning out as a doctoral student, Lou designed and co-taught what may have been the first academic courses that dealt specifically with the Internet (at The University of Michigan School of Information and Library Studies, 1993-1994). Lou's favorite hobbies include getting injured while playing soccer, getting injured while playing racquetball, and gardening. Peter Morville is vice president of Argus Associates. Since 1993, he has provided project management and information architecture services to some of the world's largest companies. Prior to joining Argus, Peter worked as manager of online services for Michigan Comnet, where he guided the creation and development of a highly successful online community for nonprofit organizations. Peter has written extensively on the topics of information architecture and information retrieval. Publications include the Internet Searchers Handbook (Neal-Schuman, 1996) and the "Web Architect" column in Web Review magazine. He speaks frequently at national professional conferences such as Internet World, Web Design & Development, and COMDEX. Peter holds a masters in information and library studies from The University of Michigan and a B.A. in English literature from Tufts University. His current research interests include psycholinguistics, knowledge management, and the dynamics of polar bear society. Founded in 1991, Argus Associates (http://argus-inc.com) specializes in information architecture design for large, complex intranets and Web sites. Argus is somewhat unique in that it is staffed by entrepreneurial librarians who are interested in applying the principles of their profession in new venues where they're desperately needed, especially in the mammoth information systems that many large corporations are currently building. Argus helps its clients by creating organization, labeling, navigation, and indexing systems that help users find the information they need. Argus has provided consulting services to a diverse array of clients, including AT&T, Barrons Magazine, Borders Books & Music, Chrysler Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and SIGGRAPH.
