Information Architecture / Study Module 3. Analyze

SJSU SLIS LIBR287 Updated 01/21/2005

IA Information Architecture
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Analyze information architectures through usability testing

As we discovered in the last study module, the information architect's ideas about how people "ought" to use or navigate information s/place(s) is often quite different than how people actually use them. Now that we have a better understanding about general user needs theory, and some insights into how actual information s/places are designed and evaluated with a user-focus, we turn our attention to the very important but often neglected work of testing and retesting architecture "in the field."

This may feel a little "ahead of yourself"...but don't rush to linear thinking! Knowing how your work will be evaluated is important before you begin the work. Throughout the process of IA, but especially during the conception and early design stages of any IA project, testing is an important time- and resource-saving activity. We must consider it, and learn how to effectively argue for it. Many people claim the mantra of the top-notch IA is "test, test, test...then test some more!"

This module introduces usability studies, presents various usability techniques, and builds on the "guerrilla" user test in your IA workbook.

You will perform a "guerrilla" test on your own project later in the semester; for now, you be the user, rather than the tester ... ready to put on your critic's hat?

Analyze Assignment:

Select one of the usability techniques and one of the case study sites provided below (or, suggest a technique & site of your own)....but not your project. Perform a quick evaluation of your case study site using the usability technique you've selected. Post a brief description of your technique (whose technique is it, why did you choose it? where can we learn more about it?) along with your evaluation and analysis of your case study site to the "Analyze" forum. Use the subject line "yourlastname, yourfirstname." Read and comment on other posts.

Analyze Links

Usability - Evaluation Techniques

Drexel University Usability Advisor - includes methods overview and interactive selection process
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~zwz22/UsabilityHome.html

Jakob Neilson's Heuristic Evaluation Methodology
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/

UserDesign.com's Comparison of Usability Evaluation Methods
http://www.userdesign.com/usability_uem.html

Usable Web's Collection of 1000+ Links to Usability Resources, including Methods
http://usableweb.org/

dmoz (Open Directory): web usability resources
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/Web_Usability/

Usability First's Methods
http://www.usabilityfirst.com/methods/index.txl

The Usability Toolbox
http://jthom.best.vwh.net/usability/

The Perceived Information Architecture Test (PIA)
http://webword.com/moving/pia.html

Usability - Sample Evaluations & Analyses

The Adobe Redesign: Making the invisible visible
http://studio.adobe.com/explore/features/hcurtis1/main.html?adobenews

analysis of drugstore.com interface
online sample chapter (pdf)

from Jakob Nielsen's book, Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed.
New Riders Publishing. http://www.newriders.com/books/title.cfm?isbn=073571102X

Deconstructing: Cisco.com
http://www.internetworld.com/magazine.php?inc=110101/11.01.01decon.html

SFnight Final Project SIMS Berkeley
http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/academics/courses/final-projects/sfnights/

Elegant Hack's case studies
http://eleganthack.com/portfolio/index.html

Suggested sites for Student Case Study (or select one of your own)

THE SJSU SLIS WEB
"THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE"
http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/

The Art of Architecture: Believing in Something
http://www.ecclectica.ca/issues/2002/2/cibinel.asp
\NEC's ResearchIndex (CiteSeer)
http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/
OLIVE - On-line Library of Information Visualization Environments
http://www.otal.umd.edu/Olive/
Atlas of Cyberspace
http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/info_maps.html
Online, Everywhere, All the time: How it will change our lives
http://dll.umaine.edu/cd/live/

MIT & Information Architecture: shaping knowledge into form
http://www.infoarch.ai.mit.edu/
http://www.youzit.com/

Wingmaker Ancient Arrow Project
http://wingmakers.com

Information Architecture and Process Innovation Project, U. of Pittsburg
http://www.pitt.edu/~document/connections/back/jan95/feature1.html
http://www.kurzweilai.net
which has a really interesting information structure, sold by http://www.thebrain.com
http://sdgateway.net/webworks/case/default.htm

http://www.highwheeldesigngroup.com/hdg/case_studies/index.asp

http://www.carboniq.com/solutions.html

http://taxonomist.tripod.com/

http://www.xor.com/clients/casestudy.html

http://www.alchemydigital.com/clients/casestudies/index.html

http://www.carboniq.com/

http://www.swensonia.com/casestudies.html

SurveyMonkey.com
http://www.surveymonkey.com

IA Information Architecture
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