Transcript Construction - School of Information

Information Architecture & Design
• Week 10 Schedule
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Construction of IA and Web
Rosenfeld Chapters 17 & 18
IA Tools
Presentations
IA Methodology
Planning
Analysis
Design
Verification
Construction
Maintenance
The Construction Phase
• Construction is building the product.
- Using all of the information from the preceding
phases to make a product suited to the users and
their environment.
- Following structured information engineering
principles to provide rigor and metrics.
Construction
• Developing Content
• Organizing Content
- Version Control
- Conventions
• Construction Methods
• Templates
• File Names
• Cooperative Development
• Backups
• Revision to Project Plan
Construction Tips
• Don’t Use “Bad” Tools
- Interfaces
- Functionality
- Import – Exports – File Formats
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Don’t Rely on Tool-Generated Markup
Fine-Tune Generated Markup
Save Multiple (All) Versions
Prepare Different Formats
Backups
Coordination
- Version Control
- Serial Development
- Communication
Construction Resources
• http://www.dynamicdrive.com/
• http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ablavier/TidyGUI/
• http://builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/07600.html
• http://www.webdeveloper.com/
• http://www.ddj.com/topics/xml/
• http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents
.html
More Construction Resources
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http://www.apple.com/developer/
http://msdn.microsoft.com/
http://devedge.netscape.com/
http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/
http://oreilly.com/
http://www.onjava.com/
http://www.onlamp.com/
http://sourceforge.net/
http://www.w3.org/
Constructing the IA Product
• Planning and Designing Are Over – What’s
Next?
• Construction (Depending on Size) Uses the
Most Project Resources
- Time
- People
• Selling the Project
- “Making the Case” To Management
- “Business Strategy” for Developers & IA Project
Team
• IA Is A Resource
Making the Case for IA
• The Methods Save Resources
- Less Design Errors
- Faster Construction
- Following the Plan
• Over 90% of Software Projects Are Never
Completed
• Requirements Aren’t Tracked for Subsequent
Versions
IA ROI (Construction Goals)
- Find Information Faster
- Find Information (!)
- Make Sense of Information Found
Less Time Searching for Documents
More Completed Purchases
Fewer Navigation Errors
Better Understanding of Information (Context and
Content)
- Fewer System Resources
- Less Technical Support
- Higher Quality Final Design
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- Difficult To Verify and Measure
IA Value (& Design) Checklist
• Reduces the Cost of Finding Information
• Reduces the Cost of Finding Wrong
Information
• Reduces the Cost of Not Finding Information
at All
• Provides a Competitive Advantage
• Increases Product Awareness
• Increases Sales
• Makes Using a Site A More Enjoyable
Experience
• (IAv2 p 344-5)
IA Value Checklist, Part Two
• Improves Brand Loyalty
- Ease of Use
- Strong, Unique Design
• Reduces Reliance on Documentation
• Reduces Maintenance Costs
- Sensible IA Structures
• For the User
• For the Developers
• Reduces Training Costs
• Reduces Staff Turnover
- Better Development Methods
- Comments
- File Sharing
- Backups
IA Value Checklist, Part Three
• Reduces Organizational Upheaval
- Design Goals are Explained and Agreed Upon Early
- Good Development Reduces Surprises
• Reduces Organizational Politicking
• Improves Knowledge Sharing
- Group Communication
- File Sharing
- Development Standards
• Templates
• Tools
• Reduces Duplication of Effort
• Solidifies Business Strategies
• (IAv2 p 344-5)
IA & Business Strategy
• Business Goals vs. IA
• IA Exposes Business Goals
- New Models for Organizing Information
- New Tasks With Old Information
- New Ways of Working
• The IA Project Plan as a Business Plan
- Focus on the Users/Customers
- Focus on Goals (in addition to Tasks)
• Corporate Sponsorship
- Business Needs
- Executive Clarity
Presentations
Let’s Talk about IA Tools
• What Are You Using?
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HTML/XML
Graphics
Navigation
Image Maps
Javascripts
Forms
Site Maps
Directories
Class Work: IA Tools for the Future
• Search Engine (For a Web Site)
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Thesaurus Management
Portals
Web Analytics
Diagramming
Integrated HTML/CSS/XML Editors
Site Management
Web Design Critiques
- www.ischool.utexas.edu
- www.utexas.edu
- news.google.com
• Graphic of Current Page
• Re-Design Graphic of Current Page
• Text Commentary on Changes and Why
- Use Callouts
- Use Class Readings to Make your Points
- Use Design Ideas from other Sites to Make your
Points
• Be Creative… Innovate
- Build on These Ideas