Today's web sites and intranets are larger, more valuable, and more complex than ever before, and their users are busier and less forgiving. Designers, information architects, and web site managers are required to juggle vast amounts of information, frequent changes, new technologies, and corporate politics, making some web sites look like a fast-growing but poorly planned city -roads everywhere, but impossible to navigate. A well-planned information architecture has never been as essential as it is now. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Second Edition, shows how to use both aesthetics and mechanics to create distinctive, cohesive web sites that work. Most books on web development concentrate either on the graphics or on the technical issues of a site. This book focuses on the framework that holds the two together. By applying the principles outlined in this completely updated classic, you'll build scalable and maintainable web sites that are easier to navigate and more appealing to your users. Using examples and case studies, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web will help you: Develop a strong, cohesive vision for your site that makes it both distinctive and usable; Organize your site's hierarchy in ways that are meaningful to its users and that minimize the need to re-engineer the site; Create navigation systems that allow users to move through the site without getting lost or frustrated; Accurately label your site's content; Organize your site in a way that supports both searching for specific items and casual browsing; Configure search systems so that users' queries actually retrieve meaningful results; Manage the process of developing an information architecture, from selling the concept to research and conceptual design to planning and production. "The world will be a better place when web designers read this book. It's smart, funny, and artfully distills years of the authors' bard-won experience. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web tackles political/organizational challenges as well as content, structure, and user interface. This is not design-lite, but a deep treatment of fundamental issues of information presentation that advances the state of the art. It's light years ahead of the competition." -Bonnie Nardi, Co-author of Information Ecologies- Using Technology with Heart

The post-Ajaxian Web 2.0 world of wikis, folksonomies, and mashups makes well-planned information architecture even more essential. How do you present large volumes of information to people who need to find what they're looking for quickly? This classic primer shows information architects, designers, and web site developers how to build large-scale and maintainable web sites that are appealing and easy to navigate. The new edition is thoroughly updated to address emerging technologies -- with recent examples, new scenarios, and information on best practices -- while maintaining its focus on fundamentals. With topics that range from aesthetics to mechanics, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web explains how to create interfaces that users can understand right away. Inside, you'll find: An overview of information architecture for both newcomers and experienced practitioners The fundamental components of an architecture, illustrating the interconnected nature of these systems. Updated, with updates for tagging, folksonomies, social classification, and guided navigation Tools, techniques, and methods that take you from research to strategy and design to implementation. This edition discusses blueprints, wireframes and the role of diagrams in the design phase A series of short essays that provide practical tips and philosophical advice for those who work on information architecture The business context of practicing and promoting information architecture, including recent lessons on how to handle enterprise architecture Case studies on the evolution of two large and very different information architectures, illustrating best practices along the way How do you document the rich interfaces of web applications? How do you design for multiple platforms and mobile devices? With emphasis on goals and approaches over tactics or technologies, this enormously popular book gives you knowledge about information architecture with a framework that allows you to learn new approaches -- and unlearn outmoded ones.

Information architecture (IA) is far more challenging—and necessary—than ever. With the glut of information available today, anything your organization wants to share should be easy to find, navigate, and understand. But the experience you provide has to be familiar and coherent across multiple interaction channels, from the Web to smartphones, smartwatches, and beyond. To guide you through this broad ecosystem, this popular guide—now in its fourth edition—provides essential concepts, methods, and techniques for digital design that have withstood the test of time. UX designers, product managers, developers, and anyone involved in digital design will learn how to create semantic structures that will help people engage with your message. This book includes: An overview of IA and the problems it solves for creating effective digital products and services A deep dive into IA components, including organization, labeling, navigation, search, and metadata Processes and methods that take you from research to strategy, design, and IA implementation

Information Architecture is about organizing and simplifying information, designing and integrating information spaces/systems, and creating ways for people to find and interact with information content. Its goal is to help people understand and manage information and make the right decisions accordingly. This updated and revised edition of the book looks at integrated information spaces in the web context and beyond, with a focus on putting theories and principles into practice. In the ever-changing social, organizational, and technological contexts, information architects not only design individual information spaces (e.g., websites, software applications, and mobile devices), but also tackle strategic aggregation and integration of multiple information spaces across websites, channels, modalities, and platforms. Not only do they create predetermined navigation pathways, but they also provide tools and rules for people to organize information on their own and get connected with others. Information architects work with multi-disciplinary teams to determine the user experience strategy based on user needs and business goals, and make sure the strategy gets carried out by following the user-centered design (UCD) process via close collaboration with others. Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience as HCI researchers, User Experience Design practitioners, and Information Architecture instructors, this book provides a balanced view of the IA discipline by applying theories, design principles, and guidelines to IA and UX practices. It also covers advanced topics such as iterative design, UX decision support, and global and mobile IA considerations. Major revisions include moving away from a web-centric view toward multi-channel, multi-device experiences. Concepts such as responsive design, emerging design principles, and user-centered methods such as Agile, Lean UX, and Design Thinking are discussed and related to IA processes and practices.

Over the past decade, the World Wide Web has dramatically changed the face of technical communication, but the teaching of writing has thus far altered very little to accommodate this rapidly changing context. Technical Communication and the World Wide Web offers substantial and broadly applicable strategies for teaching global communication issues affecting writing for the World Wide Web. Editors Carol Lipson and Michael Day have brought together an exceptional group of experienced and well-known teacher-scholars to develop this unique volume addressing technical communication education. The chapters here focus specifically on curriculum issues and the teaching of technical writing for the World Wide Web, contributing a blend of theory and practice in proposing changes in curriculum and pedagogy. Contributors offer classroom examples that teachers at all levels of experience can adapt for their own classes. The volume provides comprehensive coverage of the technical communication curriculum, from the two-year level to the graduate level; from service courses to degree programs. This volume is an important and indispensable resource for technical writing educators, and it will serve as an essential reference for curriculum and pedagogy development in technical communication programs.

Information Architecture is about organizing and simplifying information, designing and integrating information spaces/systems, and creating ways for people to find and interact with information content. Its goal is to help people understand and manage information and make right decisions accordingly. In the ever-changing social, organizational and technological contexts, Information Architects not only design individual information spaces (e.g., individual websites, software applications, and mobile devices), but also tackle strategic aggregation and integration of multiple information spaces across websites, channels, modalities, and platforms. Not only they create predetermined navigation pathways, but also provide tools and rules for people to organize information on their own and get connected with others. Information Architects work with multi-disciplinary teams to determine the user experience strategy based on user needs and business goals, and make sure the strategy gets carried out by following the user-centered design (UCD) process via close collaboration with others. Drawing on the author(s) extensive experience as HCI researchers, User Experience Design practitioner, and Information Architecture instructors, this book provides a balanced view of the IA discipline by applying the IA theories, design principles and guidelines to the IA and UX practices. It also covers advanced topics such as Enterprise IA, Global IA, and Mobile IA. In addition to new and experienced IA practitioners, this book is written for undergraduate and graduate level students in Information Architecture, Information Sciences, Human Computer Interaction, Information Systems and related disciplines. Table of Contents: Information Architecture Concepts / Information Architecture and Web 2.0 / IA Research, Design and Evaluation / Organization and Navigation Systems / User Information Behavior and Design Implications / Interaction Design / Enterprise IA and IA in Practice / Global Information Architecture / Mobile Information Architecture / The Future of Information Architecture

The post-Ajaxian Web 2.0 world of wikis, folksonomies, and mashups makes well-planned information architecture even more essential. How do you present large volumes of information to people who need to find what they re looking for quickly? This classic primer shows information architects, designers, and web site developers how to build large-scale web sites that are manageable, appealing, and easy to navigate.

Pervasive Information Architecture explains the 'why' and 'how' of pervasive information architecture (IA) through detailed examples and real-world stories. It offers insights about trade-offs that can be made and techniques for even the most unique design challenges. The book will help readers master agile information structures while meeting their unique needs on such devices as smart phones, GPS systems, and tablets. The book provides examples showing how to: model and shape information to adapt itself to users' needs, goals, and seeking strategies; reduce disorientation and increase legibility and way-finding in digital and physical spaces; and alleviate the frustration associated with choosing from an ever-growing set of information, services, and goods. It also describes relevant connections between pieces of information, services and goods to help users achieve their goals. This book will be of value to practitioners, researchers, academics, andstudents in user experience design, usability, information architecture, interaction design, HCI, web interaction/interface designer, mobile application design/development, and information design. Architects and industrial designers moving into the digital realm will also find this book helpful. - Master agile information structures while meeting the unique user needs on such devices as smart phones, GPS systems, and tablets - Find out the 'why' and 'how' of pervasive information architecture (IA) through detailed examples and real-world stories - Learn about trade-offs that can be made and techniques for even the most unique design challenges