Month: October 2012

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Press Mentions: Marketing Land: Redesigning Or Creating A Website? Here’s Why Information Architecture Should Be Priority #1

From “Redesigning Or Creating A Website? Here’s Why Information Architecture Should Be Priority #1: Columnist Shari Thurow explains information architecture, site navigation, and how they relate to one another.” Shari Thurow on February 13, 2015 at 10:37 am
http://marketingland.com/redesigning-creating-website-plan-information-architecture-117040?utm_campaign=feed-main&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner

Of course, I am not saying to ignore the aesthetics of navigation design. Nor am I saying to ignore the user experience. What I am saying is to have a strong foundation that makes sense and is meaningful to users.

I think my colleague, Noreen Whysel, Community Manager for the OWASP Foundation, Operations Advisor for the Information Architecture Institute, and independent researcher, summarizes this well:

“Information architecture is getting people to the information they need quickly, easily and without a lot of hassle. It’s sort of like a good road map. But it doesn’t mean leaving out the scenic overlooks. I’m a big fan of brown highway signs and serendipity. Sometimes you need a big picture view or a detour to get a new perspective on what you are looking for.”

Amen to that, Noreen.

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Press Mentions: O’Reilly Radar: NYC’s PLAN to alert citizens to danger during Hurricane Sandy

From “NYC’s PLAN to alert citizens to danger during Hurricane Sandy A mobile alert system put messages where and when they were needed: residents’ palms.” by Alex Howard |@digiphile October 30, 2012

As more consumers replace their devices in the years ahead, more people around the United States will also be able to receive these messages, benefiting from a public-private partnership that actually worked to deliver on improved public safety.

At least one New Yorker got the message and listened to it:

“If ‘act’ means stay put, then why yes I did,” tweeted Noreen Whysel, operations manager Information Architecture Institute. “It was enough to convince my husband from going out….”

Here’s hoping New York City doesn’t have to use this PLAN to tell her and others about impending disaster again soon.