IA: Digital Experiences for Human Memory

An introduction to what information is, why such abstract questions even matter, and how people use information to make sense of and move around in the world, whether digital or physical. I’ll give specific examples of what this means for digital design and how to apply these ideas to real sites.

Transcript

1. IA 101: What, Why, and How 02.07.18 Sarah Barrett
2. Information architecture is the practice of turning digital spaces into places made of information.
3. Information is not a thing.
4. Information is whatever a user interprets from the arrangement or sequence of things they encounter.
5. IA arranges the things for users to interpret.
6. Information happens.
7. Spaces become places when you can answer these questions: Where am I? What’s here? Where can I go?
8. Activity time: Get a printout and a pen.
9. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label with X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do I get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do I get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
10. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label with X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do I get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do I get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
11. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label each with an X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do I get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do I get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
12. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label each with an X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do I get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do I get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
13. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label each with an X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do I get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do I get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
14. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label each with an X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do you get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do I get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
15. Exercise: Navigation Stress Test What is this page about? Draw a rectangle around the title of the page or write it in What site is this? Circle the site name or write it in What are the major sections of this site? Label each with an X What major section is this page in? Draw a triangle around the X What is “up” 1 level from here? Label with U How do you get to the homepage of this site? Label with H How do you get to the top of this section of the site? Label with T
16. Exercise: Bonus! How might you get to this page from the site homepage? Write it out like breadcrumbs Connect the elements on the page that tell you this
18. Wayfinding principles are our tools: Establish a spatial vocabulary: 1. Identify locations 2. Create edges 3. Pave your paths 4. Add landmarks Let people see what’s going on: 5. Make maps 6. Establish sight lines 7. Add signs Bonus: 8. Limit choices
28. Information needs people. People need places.
29. Questions?