did you know? Aussie businesses being ?hoodwinked? on IT spend
(Source: iTnews)
Australian businesses are being hoodwinked into spending up to 50 percent too much on IT infrastructure due to poor technical knowledge and . . . Read more »
Site Map Usability
(Source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)
Most site maps fail to convey multiple levels of the site's information architecture. In usability tests, users often overlook site maps or . . . Read more »
information architecture why do I need it?
A website is like a house. Without strong foundations you will have an expensive nightmare on
your hands. If you want a successful web site you need strong
foundations, and that is an information architecture.
An information architecture involves defining the blueprint used to build a website.
An information architecture defines how your website will align the
goals of your business with the goals of your end users.
is it expensive?
No. In fact it is quite the opposite. It is a required process that ensures
a rapid website development process.
that you get the website that you want.
that your website is targeted at your customers.
the website is developed right the first time.
An information architecture ensures a lower investment is required and
that the risks in developing the website are minimized.
what does it involve?
It involves defining the goals of a website and provides a clear idea of the development
process that will be undertaken.
An information architecture ensures that all participating parties
fully understand and agree on what the end website is to achieve.
how do you do it?
We initially gather information about your business and then use this information to define
the four key elements of an information architecture.
User experience: We define your target audience and the type website interaction
that would suit them. At this point we also learn what your competitors are doing so you
can do it better.
Content requirements: We define the type, categorisation and constraints of the
content the site will present.
Functionality requirements: We define the technical and functional requirements and
constraints.
Site structure: We define the structure your site should use by the how your content
is categorised. A well-designed structure makes it easy to define a navigation system and in
turn the page layout and templates of the website.
Interface design: Using the previously defined information architecture elements, the
interface design is developed.
