Information Architecture
How content is organized so that users can find what they need
Hartson and Pyla, second edition, address the topic in section 9.10. No mention in the first edition.
Examples of content
- Ecommerce: online catalog or inventory
- App settings/preferences (e.g. iPhone)
- Actions / operations (e.g. MS Word)
- Information web sites
- Intranet portals (e.g. campusconnect)
Styles of Interaction
- Browsing (lists of links)
- Filtering
- Keyword search
Other design decisions
- Clustering
- Labeling
Methods
- Card sorting (e.g. open vs. closed)
- Organization schemes (e.g. LATCH)
Issues for discussion
- How does IA fit with conceptual design or interaction design?
- What other kinds of content can IA address?
- When is IA needed as an explicit process?