Information Architecture
Overview
Information architecture is a term that is relatively new to many in the IT field. The basic idea behind IA is to study the information that is to be presented along with other relevant details and decide how best to collect, organize, and present that information. This includes analyzing the website, the content, the users, and many other factors. We have been introducing IA to students in an advanced web design course at Kishwaukee College. Overall, the response has been very encouraging.
Web resources
- Information Architecture FAQ
http://builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-3881-8-5113200-1.html - Webmonkey IA tutorial
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/98/28/index0a.html - Jacob Nielsen's web usability website
http://www.useit.com/ - Usable Web
http://usableweb.org/ - Determining the purpose of your site (Yale)
http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/intro/purpose.html - Designing with your audience in mind (Yale)
http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/intro/design_strategies.html
Example from recent class
Group 2's final project (opens in new window)