Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites

The post-Ajaxian Web 2.0 world of wikis, folksonomies, and mashups makes well-planned information architecture even more essential. How do you present large volumes of information to people who need to find what they're looking for quickly? This classic primer shows information architects, designers, and web site developers how to build large-scale and maintainable web sites that are appealing and easy to navigate.

The new edition is thoroughly updated to address emerging technologies — with recent examples, new scenarios, and information on best practices — while maintaining its focus on fundamentals. With topics that range from aesthetics to mechanics, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web explains how to create interfaces that users can understand right away. Inside, you'll find:

• An overview of information architecture for both newcomers and experienced practitioners



• The fundamental components of an architecture, illustrating the interconnected nature of these systems. Updated, with updates for tagging, folksonomies, social classification, and guided navigation



• Tools, techniques, and methods that take you from research to strategy and design to implementation. This edition discusses blueprints, wireframes and the role of diagrams in the design phase



• A series of short essays that provide practical tips and philosophical advice for those who work on information architecture



• The business context of practicing and promoting information architecture, including recent lessons on how to handle enterprise architecture



• Case studies on the evolution of two large and very different information architectures, illustrating best practices along the way

How do you document the rich interfaces of web applications? How do you design for multiple platforms and mobile devices? With emphasis on goals and approaches over tactics or technologies, this enormously popular book gives you knowledge about information architecture with a framework that allows you to learn new approaches — and unlearn outmoded ones.

Peter Morville is president of Semantic Studios, an information architecture, user experience, and findability consultancy. For over a decade, he has advised such clients as AT&T, IBM, Microsoft, Harvard Business School, Internet2, Procter & Gamble, Vanguard, and Yahoo. Peter is best known as a founding father of information architecture, having co-authored the field's best-selling book, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. Peter serves on the faculty at the University of Michigan's School of Information and on the advisory board of the Information Architecture Institute. He delivers keynotes and seminars at international events, and his work has been featured in major publications including Business Week, The Economist, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal. You can contact Peter Morville by email (morville@semanticstudios.com). You can also find him offline at 42.2 N 83.4 W or online at semanticstudios.com and findability.org.

Lou Rosenfeld is an independent information architecture consultant. He has been instrumental in helping establish the field of information architecture, and in articulating the role and value of librarianship within the field. Lou played a leading role in organizing and programming the first three information architecture conferences (both ASIS&T Summits and IA 2000). He also presents and moderates at such venues as CHI, COMDEX, Intranets, and the web design conferences produced by Miller Freeman, C|net and Thunder Lizard. He teaches tutorials as part of the Nielsen Norman Group User Experience Conference.

• Chapter 1: Defining Information Architecture
• Chapter 2: Practicing Information Architecture
• Chapter 3: User Needs and Behaviors

• Chapter 4: The Anatomy of an Information Architecture
• Chapter 5: Organization Systems
• Chapter 6: Labeling Systems
• Chapter 7: Navigation Systems
• Chapter 8: Search Systems
• Chapter 9: Thesauri, Controlled Vocabularies, and Metadata

• Chapter 10: Research
• Chapter 11: Strategy
• Chapter 12: Design and Documentation

• Chapter 13: Education
• Chapter 14: Ethics
• Chapter 15: Building an Information Architecture Team
• Chapter 16: Tools and Software

• Chapter 17: Making the Case for Information Architecture
• Chapter 18: Business Strategy
• Chapter 19: Information Architecture for the Enterprise

• Chapter 20: MSWeb: An Enterprise Intranet
• Chapter 21: evolt.org: An Online Community
• Appendix 1: Essential Resources