information architecture and sharepoint

Information architecture & SharePoint

An experience designer’s view on how information architecture fits within the SharePoint context.

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Lulu Pachuau 3 July 2009, SharePoint Conference

Sponsored by

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facilitator

critic

problem solver

information architect

mentor

interaction designer

sales person

communicator

implementer

evaluator

business person

strategist

I’m NOT really a SharePoint

person…

3 Logos I could find... SP SharePoint people or using it

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IA is one of elements of user experience (UX)

Elements of User experience - Jesse James Garret

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Information architecture (IA) IA is a

process

IA is an outcome

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UX people flee at the sound of “SharePoint”

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Business assumes IT will put it together

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IT need clearer requirements & directions

Where are we going�with this?

We just provide a service

What’s so different about SharePoint projects?

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SharePoint is like a DIY toolbox or warehouse�

SharePoint is...

“an enterprise information portal... to run intranets, extranets

and internet sites... allows people,

teams and expertise to connect and

collaborate.” By SharePoint HQ

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Features and ways to do it – LOTS!!

http://www.themackpage.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/083107-1957-whitepapers1.jpg

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Demo – features you can use right out of the box!

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Ready Set GO?

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…before you get buried too deep

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Common problem – Poor/lack of communication

Implementtttttttttttt t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t

Typical project with SP

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Business requirements

Business

IT/Tech team

SharePoint consultant

Business requirements

Some projects start with implementing the product!

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Implement

Business

Implement

IT/Tech team

SharePoint consultant

Business requirements

Implement Business

requirements

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… end up with something no-one will use and $$$$$

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…or like this

Who you gonna call?

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Fill the gap with information architecture

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Business requirements

Implementation Information architecture

(analysis & design)

Information architect Business

IT/Tech team

SharePoint consultant

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Look before you leap – plan and design the IA before you write a single line of code dig into SharePoint ...

So what is information architecture?

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Information architecture is…

“ the art and science of structuring,

organising and labeling information to help people find and

manage information.”

- Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville, authors of the “polar bear” book

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Information architecture for SharePoint instructs… •  How the site will be structured

and divided into a set of sub-sites.

•  How data will be presented in the site.

•  How site users will navigate through the site.

•  How information will be targeted at specific audiences.

•  How search will be configured and optimised.

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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262873.aspx

Content

Context

Users

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3 areas of information architecture

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Context Content Users

Context

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Research and understand the context

Requirements & expectations: One-stop-shop portal, hub, wikis, RSS, Blogs, Facebook, Google search, documents, dashboards… and a pony

Business goals and vision: “intranet staff will love and find pleasurable to use” “A world class website” “a one-stop shop for all our customers. They will just come to our website for all their needs”

We need it next week – timeframes Limited budget & resources – constraints We’ve already bought SharePoint – technology landscape

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SharePoint context Content Users

Context

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Information architecture rules (out of the box)

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User interface patterns – adding content

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Feedback not most user friendly

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Compartmentalisation of content (out of the box)

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Metadata = site columns

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Levels of customisation

0% or min: less $$

100% custom UI: $$$$

Summary – SharePoint context IA’s need to know

•  Information architecture rules

•  User interface patterns

•  Feedback messages

•  Compartmentalisation of content

•  Customisation requirements

•  SharePoint terminologies -  Themes aka skins

-  Master Page

-  Web parts

-  Site columns – metadata

-  Content types – bunch of metadata/columns

-  Etc…

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Content Users

Context

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Content – analysis & modelling Users

Context

Content

Content…

•  Documents

•  Images, photos

•  Audio, Video

•  Tools or applications – desktop,�web based

•  Services

•  Physical items

•  Communications – ministerials,�meeting minutes, etc

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Facets of content relevant to SharePoint

•  Governance – Ownership, Retrieval, Security -  Who owns, creates content? when does content get created or�

removed? Is it centralised? Does it need approval? Who can view what when?

•  Metadata (more later) -  How is content described? what makes them different from each other?

•  Format (that content is in) -  Textual documents, databases and software applications, audio & videos, books,

people and so on

•  Volume -  how big is your intranet/website going to be? How many pieces of content are

there?

•  Dynamism -  what is the rate of growth of content within your organisation? how long are

they valid? How do you want to keep old records?

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* More on the Information Architecture for the World Wide Web book – Pete Morville & Louis Rosenfield

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The universe of content

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Users

Context

Content Users

?

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User research – behaviours, tasks, preferences

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User research – Context of use

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High level to low level IA

Content

Context

Users

Information architecture

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Where am I? How do I get

around?

I know what I’m looking for, how do I search for it?

What kinds of information do they have that is useful to me (as a prospective student or staff)?

I need to get to my university email quickly

What’s going one, what’s

popular?

Caters to different needs, info seeking behaviours

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Core components of information architecture

Organisation system e.g. by author, time, topic or geography

Navigation system e.g. Global & local nav, contextual, task based

Search system e.g. Scope, fields, keywords, tags, best bets

Labelling system e.g. Food terms, scientific terms, etc

Metadata e.g. titles, desc, author, etc.

* More on the Information Architecture for the World Wide Web book – Pete Morville & Louis Rosenfield

Organisation system

Navigation system

Search system

Organisation system

Navigation system

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Interface

* Information architecture iceberg concept from Information Architecture for the World Wide Web – Pete Morville & Louis Rosenfield

IA behind the scenes – impacts user experience

Information architecture components

Quick introduction to metadata

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TradeMe – Metadata driven

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Users provide metadata – drives the website

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You can “See” the metadata

In summary…

•  Three areas of IA

•  Core components

•  IA impacts user experience

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Content

Context

Users

Organisation system

Navigation system

Search system

Labelling system Metadata

Interface

Information architecture components

Keep in mind…

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We don't need to do or know everything

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Information architect Business

IT/Tech team

SharePoint consultant

Information architect

SharePoint consultant & integrator

Business requirements

Implementation Information architecture

(analysis & design)

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What does the info architect create & deliver?

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Sitemap – organisation, labels hierarchy, top down

Navigation pathways

Content types, labels &

Metadata

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Page templates & layouts – content placement, metadata values

Search – scope, which field, prefered terms, cv

Specifications – components of IA

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?

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Custom development on SharePoint

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Intranet

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MOT Intranet

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Custom development on SharePoint

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DIY store – tools to build anything you want…

If you know what you’re going to build…

If you know what you need to build it

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Alex Dean SharePoint trainer, consultant and implementer Information architect

alex.dean@knowledgecue.co.nz

Stephanie Beath Experience design consultant

Information architect

steph@beath.co.nz

Kate Smith SharePoint information architect,

theme expert, interaction designer, website integrator

kate@trinkit.co.nz

Lulu Pachuau Experience design consultant

Information architect Interaction designer

lulu@lushai.com

Isha Hartono SharePoint consultant, theme expert, website integrator Interaction designer Information architect

Isha.hartono@provoke.co.nz

Zef Fugaz Experience design consultant Information architect

zef.fugaz@zefamedia.com

References

•  Information Architecture for the World Wide Web�Peter Morville & Louis Rosenfield�http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596527341/

•  Definition of SharePoint: �http://www.sharepointhq.com/resources/what_is_SP.htm

•  Determine the information architecture of your site:�http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262873.aspx

•  Project cartoon: http://www.projectcartoon.com/

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Thanks!!�lulu@lushai.com �

http://www.lushai.com�Photos found on Flickr and Google images

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