Chapter 3
User Needs and Behaviors
Information Needs
Organization systems-present the site’s information to us in a variety of ways, such as content categories that pertain to the
entire campus.
Navigation systems-help users move through the content such as a directory.
Search systems- allow users to search the content whole web from site’s search interface.
Labeling systems-describe categories, options, and links in language that is meaningful to users.
Chapter 4
The Anatomy of an Information Architecture
Visualizing Information Architecture
People don’t believe things exist until they can see them.
Organization systems-entire campus
Navigation systems-directory
Search systems- search content the interface
Labeling systems-links and language
Information Architecture Components
Users interact directly with some while others are so behind the scenes that users are unaware of their existence.
Organization systems- categorize information by subject or chronology
Labeling systems-how we represent information
Navigation systems-how we browse through information
Search systems-how we search information executing a search query against an index
Browsing Aids
Components present users with a predetermined set of paths to help them navigate the site:
Organization systems
Site-wide navigation system
Local navigation systems
Sitemaps/Table of contents
Site indices
Site guides
Site wizards
Contextual navigation systems
Search Aids
These components allow the entry of a user-defined query and automatically present users with a customized
set of results that match their queries.
Search interface
Query language
Query builders
Retrieval algorithms
Search zones
Search results
Content and Tasks
These are the users’ ultimate destinations, as opposed to separate components that get users to their destinations.
Headings
Embedded links
Embedded metadata
Chunks
Lists
Sequential aids
Identifiers
Invisible Components
These components often feed other components such as a thesaurus that’s used to enhance a search query.
Some example of invisible information architecture components include.
Controlled vocabularies and thesauri
Retrieval algorithms
Best bets
Website-http://2advanced.com-this web site demonstrates various of art. The concepts and strategies are very detailed
in outlining different links to certain categories.