Results

Imagine building a house with no master blueprint and little ongoing planning. Would you be able to find your way around? Would you be able to accomplish specific tasks in this building? Would you feel comfortable in such a building?

If you were the builder, would you know where to start? A colonial, a split…a cottage? Any idea who is going to use it? A beautiful colonial with beautiful staircases and elegant foyer looking down to the middle of a family room would be useless to someone who has mobility problems or is in a wheelchair.

The vast majority of us would feel put-off and disoriented in a building where so little energy was exerted in the planning process. Why, then, are web sites, which are in essence a miniature environment like a building, so often built without a “blueprint”? Many organizations suffer from unplanned, organically grown web sites and web-based applications whose continual reconstruction leave visitors confused and frustrated. Just as a building architect designs structures that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional, an information architect ensures that your information structures are well-planned, functional, and usable.

Going through a discovery process allows a company to determine who the audience is, and how they are going to use what is being designed. It is a mapped-out structure of the information your site will contain that considers functionality, design, and user profiles. As a first step, your team should consider who will be using the site, what purpose or role it must fill, and how this relates to your goals for the product.

The next task is map the tasks the users will want to do with the functionality on the website. Keep it simple, clean, and functional, since overwhelming content can drive users to your competitor’s websites. Thirdly, you will decide on a basic framework for your site that will consider the user and the content therein. Mapping out a structure and navigational plan can help keep you on track with your original goal. Lastly, when the site is actually built, you should compare it with your blueprint to ensure it meets the needs of your users and your company.

Intelligent architecture can create an environment that stimulates user’s attention spans, keeps visitors at your site longer, and encourages them to return. A solid foundation for your design can also increase your company’s productivity. For example, if information is clear and questions are easily answered within the framework of the website, users will not have to call or email with concerns. Also, carefully built sites need less maintenance. This will save you time and money both in the short and long term.

Great information architecture will feel like everything is naturally where it is supposed to be and your web application will be easy to use, giving your users the confidence they need to interact with the application you build for them.

Friday, October 19th, 2007 Both comments and pings are currently closed.

By Haley January Eckels