Information Architecture for the Web and Beyond

Preface

Part 1: Introducing Information Architecture
1. The Problems That Information Architecture Addresses
-Hello, iTunes
-The Problems Information Architecture Addresses
-Enter Information Architecture
-Recap

2. Defining Information Architecture
-Definitions
-Just Because You Can’t See It, Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t There
-Toward a Damned Good Information Architecture
-Recap

3. Design for Finding
-The “Too-Simple” Information Model
-Information Needs
-Information-Seeking Behaviors
-Learning About Information Needs and Information-Seeking Behaviors
-Recap

4. Design for Understanding
-A Sense of Place
-The Architecture of (Real-World) Places
-Places Made of Information
-Organizing Principles
-Structure and Order
-Typologies
-Modularity and Extensibility
-The Happiest Place(s) on Earth
-Recap

Part 2: Basic Principles of Information Architecture
5. The Anatomy of an Information Architecture
-Visualizing Information Architecture
-Top-Down Information Architecture
-Bottom-Up Information Architecture
-Invisible Information Architecture
-Information Architecture Components
-Recap

6. Organization Systems
-Challenges of Organizing Information
-Organizing Information Environments
-Organization Schemes
-Organization Structures
-Social Classification
-Creating Cohesive Organization Systems
-Recap

7. Labeling Systems
-Why You Should Care About Labeling
-Varieties of Labels
-Labels as Headings
-Designing Labels
-Recap

8. Navigation Systems
-Types of Navigation Systems
-Gray Matters
-Browser Navigation Features
-Placemaking
-Improving Flexibility
-Embedded Navigation Systems
-Supplemental Navigation Systems
-Advanced Navigation Approaches
-Recap

9. Search Systems
-Does Your Product Need Search?
-Search System Anatomy
-Choosing What to Index
-Search Algorithms
-Query Builders
-Presenting Results
-Designing the Search Interface
-Where to Learn More
-Recap

10. Thesauri, Controlled Vocabularies, and Metadata
-Metadata
-Controlled Vocabularies
-Technical Lingo
-A Thesaurus in Action
-Types of Thesauri
-Thesaurus Standards
-Semantic Relationships
-Preferred Terms
-Polyhierarchy
-Faceted Classification
-Recap

Part 3: Getting Information Architecture Done
11. Research
-A Research Framework
-Context
-Content
-Users
-Participant Definition and Recruiting
-User Research Sessions
-In Defense of Research
-Recap

12. Strategy
-What Is an Information Architecture Strategy?
-Strategies Under Attack
-From Research to Strategy
-Developing the Strategy
-Work Products and Deliverables
-The Strategy Report
-The Project Plan
-Presentations
-Recap

13. Design and Documentation
-Guidelines for Diagramming an Information Architecture
-Communicating Visually
-Sitemaps
-Wireframes
-Content Mapping and Inventory
-Content Models
-Controlled Vocabularies
-Design Collaboration
-Putting It All Together: Information Architecture Style Guides
-Recap

Appendix: References

Index