information architecture and sharepoint
DESCRIPTION
An experience designer's view of information architecture within the context of SharePoint.TRANSCRIPT
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
Stephanie Beath Experience design consultant
Information architect
Kate Smith SharePoint information architect,
theme expert, interaction designer, website integrator
Lulu Pachuau Experience design consultant
Information architect Interaction designer
Isha Hartono SharePoint consultant, theme expert, website integrator Interaction designer Information architect
Zef Fugaz Experience design consultant Information architect
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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