Some Web sites "work" and some don't. Good Web site consultants know that you can't just jump in and start writing HTML, the same way you can't build a house by just pouring a foundation and putting up some walls. You need to know who will be using the site, and what they'll be using it for. You need some idea of what you'd like to draw their attention to during their visit. Overall, you need a strong, cohesive vision for the site that makes it both distinctive and usable.

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web is about applying the principles of architecture and library science to Web site design. Each Web site is like a public building, available for tourists and regulars alike to breeze through at their leisure. The job of the architect is to set up the framework for the site to make it comfortable and inviting for people to visit, relax in, and perhaps even return to someday.

Most books on Web development concentrate either on the aesthetics or the mechanics of the site. This book is about the framework that holds the two together. With this book, you learn how to design Web sites and intranets that support growth, management, and ease of use. Special attention is given to:

• The process behind architecting a large, complex site
• Web site hierarchy design and organization
• Techniques for making your site easier to search

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web is for Webmasters, designers, and anyone else involved in building a Web site. It's for novice Web designers who, from the start, want to avoid the traps that result in poorly designed sites. It's for experienced Web designers who have already created sites but realize that something "is missing" from their sites and want to improve them. It's for programmers and administrators who are comfortable with HTML, CGI, and Java but want to understand how to organize their Web pages into a cohesive site.

The authors are two of the principals of Argus Associates, a Web consulting firm. At Argus, they have created information architectures for Web sites and intranets of some of the largest companies in the United States, including Chrysler Corporation, Barron's, and Dow Chemical.

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web shows how to apply principles of architecture and library science to design Web sites and intranets that are easy to use, manage, and expand. It's for novice designers who want to avoid the pitfalls of poorly designed sites; experienced designers who've created sites but realize something is missing; and programmers and administrators who are comfortable with HTML, CGI, and Java but want to organize their Web pages into a cohesive site. Special attention is given to the architectural process behind a large, complex site; Web site hierarchy design and organization; and techniques for making a site easier to search.

 Table of Contents

Foreword  

Preface  

1. What Makes a Web Site Work 
      Consumer Sensitivity Boot Camp 
      If You Don't Like to Exercise 
2. Introduction to Information Architecture 
      The Role of the Information Architect 
      Who Should Be the Information Architect? 
      Collaboration and Communication 
3. Organizing Information 
      Organizational Challenges 
      Organizing Web Sites and Intranets 
      Creating Cohesive Organization Systems 
4. Designing Navigation Systems 
      Browser Navigation Features 
      Building Context 
      Improving Flexibility 
      Types of Navigation Systems 
      Integrated Navigation Elements 
      Remote Navigation Elements 
      Designing Elegant Navigation Systems 
5. Labeling Systems 
      Why You Should Care About Labeling 
      Labeling Systems, Not Labels 
      Types of Labeling Systems 
      Creating Effective Labeling Systems 
      Fine-Tuning the Labeling System 
      Non-Representational Labeling Systems 
      A Double Challenge 
6. Searching Systems 
      Searching and Your Web Site 
      Understanding How Users Search 
      Designing the Search Interface 
      In an Ideal World: The Reference Interview 
      Indexing the Right Stuff 
      To Search or Not To Search? 
7. Research 
      Getting Started 
      Defining Goals 
      Learning About the Intended Audiences 
      Identifying Content and Function Requirements 
      Grouping Content 
8. Conceptual Design 
      Brainstorming with White Boards and Flip Charts 
      Metaphor Exploration 
      Scenarios 
      High-Level Architecture Blueprints 
      Architectural Page Mockups 
      Design Sketches 
      Web-Based Prototypes 
9. Production and Operations 
      Detailed Architecture Blueprints 
      Content Mapping 
      Web Page Inventory 
      Point-of-Production Architecture 
      Architecture Style Guides 
      Learning from Users 
10. Information Architecture in Action 
      Archipelagoes of Information 
      A Case Study: Henry Ford Health System 

Selected Bibliography  

Index