Information architecture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Information architecture (IA) is the art and science of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems. Among these activities are library systems, web development, user interactions, database development, programming, technical writing, enterprise architecture, and critical system software design. Information architecture has somewhat different meanings in these different branches of IS or IT architecture. Most definitions have common qualities: a structural design of shared environments, methods of organizing and labeling websites, intranets, and online communities, and ways of bringing the principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.

Information architecture is defined by the R.I.P.O.S.E.^[1] technique, developed in 1989 ^[2] as:

1. The conceptual structure and logical organisation of the intelligence of a person or group of people (organisations).

Information architecture is defined by the Information Architecture Institute, founded 2002, as:

1. The structural design of shared information environments.
2. The art and science of organizing and labeling web sites, intranets, online communities and software to support findability and usability.
3. An emerging community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.

The term information architecture describes a specialized skill set which relates to the interpretation of information and expression of distinctions between signs and systems of signs. It has some degree of origin in the library sciences. Many library schools teach information architecture.

In the context of information system design, information architecture refers to the analysis and design of the data stored by information systems, concentrating on entities, their attributes and their interrelationships. It refers to the modeling of data for an individual database and to the corporate data models an enterprise uses to coordinate the definition of data in several (perhaps scores or hundreds) of distinct databases. Recently, the "canonical data model" is applied to integration technologies as a definition for specific data passed between the systems of an enterprise. At a higher level of abstraction, it may also refer to the definition of data stores.

Contents 1 History 2 Critiques 3 See also 4 External links 5 References 6 Further reading

[edit] History

Information Architecture was originally a term with a meaning more akin to what is called today Information Design. The term "Information Architecture" was coined by Richard Saul Wurman, himself an architect and AIGA luminary. Later, the term was appropriated by Web Design experts and applied onto high-complexity web sites (Information Architecture as an important aspect of Web User experience design). This appropriation has changed the original meaning into what is today considered to be Information Architecture.

[edit] Critiques

• The term Information Architecture has been criticized, as the term "architecture" may imply that information systems are static like buildings.^{[citation needed]} Information systems are dynamic and should adapt to specific users’ actions. This criticism may be due to an assumption on the part of the critics that architecture always is permanent and non-flexible. Often the structure of an information system remains static as the information content changes.

• User-Centered Information Designers analyze cognitive, behavioral and emotional processes of users and define User-Centered Information Systems and taxonomies. Furthermore, some activities involved in the creation of information systems can be similar to activities involved in the creation of taxonomies. Some have suggested that the term information architecture is analogous with taxonomy.^{[citation needed]} A contrary view is that the activities involved in the creation of a taxonomy are a subset of the activities involved in developing an information architecture (since developing an information architecture typically also involves articulating the objectives of the information, and understanding the intended audience). Some practicing information architects specialize in developing taxonomies, as part of their IA "toolkit," along with deliverables like site maps, flow diagrams and screen-level design prototypes to represent the structure of a Web site or interactive application.

• Because information architecture practices and techniques became popularized with the advent of the World Wide Web, some information architects may lack experience designing systems that are not web-based where browsing is less relevant.^{[citation needed]} Users of enterprise systems and business systems typically have different goals than users of web-based systems. Business systems within the enterprise, for example, afford users with tools to expedite required business tasks. In contrast, commerce sites, social sites, and news sites invite users to explore and browse information in many cases to support their business model. It is important for Information Architects to understand the specific business and user requirements rather than apply the same techniques to shape a system's information.

[edit] See also

• Enterprise architecture
• Enterprise Information Security Architecture
• Human factors
• Information design
• Information system
• Knowledge visualization
• Process architecture
• Taxonomy
• User experience design
• Web indexing
• Website architecture

[edit] External links

• The Information Architecture Institute – The Information Architecture Institute is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to advancing and promoting information architecture. Founded in 2002, the Institute has about 1500 members in over 80 countries.
• Information Architecture at Digital Web Magazine – A major reference site (over 270 articles) with articles dedicated web design, web development, and information architecture.
• Elements of User Experience diagram by Jesse James Garrett.
• R.I.P.O.S.E. roadmap by Charles M. Richter.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://ripose.com/ripose.org/KantAndRiposeWeb.pdf - see map
2. ^ http://www.ripose.com/BreakingTheSystemsBarrierIntro.pdf - see precise

[edit] Further reading

• Richard Saul Wurman. (1997). Peter Bradford, ed. Information Architects. New York: Graphis. (ISBN 1-888001-38-0)
• Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville. (1998, 2002, 2006). Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. Sebastapol, CA: O'Reilly Media. (ISBN 978-0596527341)
• Eric Reiss. (2000). Practical Information Architecture. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education. (ISBN 0-201-72590-8)
• Christina Wodtke. (2003). Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web. Indianapolis, IN: New Riders. (ISBN 0-7357-1250-6)
• Peter Van Dijck. (2003). Information Architecture for Designers. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision. (ISBN 2-88046-731-4)
• Sue Batley. (2007). Information Architecture for Information Professionals. Oxford, UK: Chandos. (ISBN 978-1-84334-232-8)
• Jesse James Garrett. (2002). Elements of User Experience. Pearson/New Riders Press. (ISBN 978-0735712027)
• Earl Morrogh. (2003). Information Architecture: An Emerging 21st Century Profession. Pearson/Prentice Hall. (ISBN 0130967467)
• Charles M. Richter. (1994). Breaking the systems barrier: A guide to Information Architecture , Systems Architecture, Data Architecture, and Process Architecture - see precise.