Category Archives: Information Architecture

Personas What are They Good For - Absolutely Nothing!

Aug
19
2008
By Gary Barber

Posted in  Information Architecture

Three Children Eating Icecream from the Boardwalk Sculpture Festival May 4 2008

A while back  Matthew Hodgson had a  glance over the usefulness of personas, I have to agree with what he had to say, they tend to be under used.

I have encountered the odd projects where they has been a distinct undercurrent to just jettison personas altogether. After all what are they good for … absolutely nothing.

Okay before you all start jumping up and down. I’m going to add to Matthew’s persona usage list and hopefully dispel this myth. I’m not going to explain how to build a persona, there are plenty of  books and articles on the web that have covered this.

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7 Score and 10 List Items?

Jun
21
2008
By Gary Barber

Posted in  Information Architecture, user interfaces

Street Art

You’ve done the Information Architecture (IA) of the site months ago, the high resolution (graphic) designs of the side are finished, the site is cut and have been implemented into the CMS. The client has been busy filling the IA structure with content. This is when you discover that the carefully mapped menus are suddenly growing.

Now anyone involved in the web industry knows that a web site will only remain static and unchanged for a few minutes (at best) after you launch. So why the concern about the menu creep. Well just like with your interface style guide you would have left with the client (which they will ignore) you would also ensured that they have a hierarchy and navigation guide.

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Information is Design

Apr
5
2008
By Gary Barber

Posted in  Information Architecture, web design

Fremantle Buildings Old and New

It’s a bit of an old question, which is important design or the information, why do we really need web design at all. Well Alex Graham highlights the issue in her continuation of her discussion from the Port80 meeting last week. Frankly I agree. We do need design. From my view coming from the fields of user interaction and information architecture design and information are one in the same.

“Hang on”, you say, “one is content and other is just presentation, they are separate.” Yes, I agree in that aspect they are. But the relationship between them is extremely close, to the point that from a different perspective they are same. Design is information, information is design.

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Don’t Follow the other Guy

Mar
29
2008
By Gary Barber

Posted in  Information Architecture, web design

Sheep!

How many times have you heard this: “Well the site / design / label / content has been done like this on this site, so it must be right, we’ll just copy that!”

We have all encountered it right? The premise that because someone has done it before us that is must be the correct path to take. This assumes a number of predetermine aspects:

  • The site in question has the exact same budget, market and audience.
  • There has been an extensive use of industry best practice and the application of user centred design principles on the site.
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