Tag: Information Architecture

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UX-LX: Designing Search Experiences in Lisbon!

May 24, 2023 9:00AM-12:30PM WET
Sensemaking, Search and SEO at UX-LX: UX Lisbon

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Designing Effective Search Experiences

How do people locate and discover information online? Well, they type keywords into a search engine and then select items from the search results, right? This is the current mental model of how search/retrieval works for most users. But it’s not the only way people search, nor is it necessarily the most effective for the information seeker.

In this workshop, you will learn about ”Sense-making,” a search behavior that information architects, user experience (UX) and usability pros should not ignore. You will learn how individuals (and groups) plan and carry out search activities. How a searcher’s goals affect their sense-making tasks. And how accessible design and information architectures improve search performance. At the end, you you will understand how to optimize the user experience of your products and search engine results pages, so people get the information they need with less frustration. 

Topics covered:

  • Approaches to sense-making & information seeking behavior
  • Searcher goals that affect sense-making tasks
  • How accessible design and information architecture improve search performance
  • Where & how to implement search-related sense-making in user personas/profiles & customer journeys
  • How to optimize individual search listings for findability & sense-making
  • Search strategies for apps, video, voice and ChatGPT

Exercises:

  • Individual and group search exercise
  • Analyze a selected web page for accessible design and search optimization
  • Incorporate search behavior characteristics into personas and JTBD
  • App, video and voice search optimization
  • Discussion of new and emerging forms of search experiences

Attendees will learn:

  • How to identify search behaviors and incorporate them in personas and JTBD tasks
  • How to architect & optimize different types of search experiences
  • How accessible design can improve search experiences for everyone
  • How search strategy differs for websites, apps, voice, video and emerging experiences


Any requirements for attending: None

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Information Architecture Conference 2023

I am also hosting a full day workshop on Safe Tech Audit: Applying IA Heuristics for Digital Product Safety Testing in New Orleans on March 28 at IAC23: The Information Architecture Conference. Registration

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IAC23: Safe Tech Audits in New Orleans!

March 28, 2023 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET
Safe Tech Audit: Applying IA Heuristics for Digital Product Safety Testing at IAC23: The Information Architecture Conference

Register for IAC23

Are you creating products that respect the needs and autonomy of your users? Are you concerned about how GDPR, CPRA and the proposed ADPPA data privacy regulations might affect your digital product? Would you like to learn how to evaluate your digital products for safe technology behavior?

It’s possible to measure ethical behavior of technology, and Information Architecture heuristics provide a useful testing framework. Building on the Safe Tech Audit presented at IAC22, this full day workshop will discuss the role of usability and application of Abby Covert’s Information Architecture Heuristics in technology development standards from the 2011 National Strategy for Trusted Identity in Cyberspace to the Internet Safety Labs’ ISL Safe Technology Audit. You will learn to use the framework to perform a product integrity test of a web technology of your choice.

In Part One, you will learn:

  • What are technology specifications and how are findability, understandability, accessibility and usability factors in developing them?
  • How do the various data privacy laws affect the use and control of personal data?
  • How can Information Architecture inform the design of safe and respectful apps and websites?

In Part Two, you will

  • Perform Safe Technology audits to measure product safety of a website and compare different kinds of technologies (news sites, social media, university websites, retail stores, etc.)
  • Select a website or app of your own to test and develop a plan to address any negative results (you won’t be required to share the results if you don’t wish to)
  • As a group, we will create an artifact to present on IAC23 Poster Night.
Register for IAC23

UX-LX 2023

I am also hosting a workshop on Sensemaking, Search and SEO in Lisbon on May 24 at UX-LX 2023. More details soon! Registration

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West 104th Street Block Association Talks IA

The April 15 issue of the West 104th Street Block Association Newsletter featured the efforts of my design team in an article about the Association’s pending website redesign. I also had the unexpected honor have my profile featured on their website.

As part of the project, my design team conducted interviews, surveys and user testing of current residents, neighbors and prospective residents. These were divided into four test groups including families with children, younger residents (couples and singles), those aged 55 and over and those considering a move to the neighborhood. The block association reported that “The respondents to the survey requested that the website be reorganized to find information more easily with an emphasis on portraying a ‘neighborhood feel.'” Indeed, my team found a great need among the test population for findable and accessible information.

My specific user test population included site users aged 55 and older. Among the requirements of this group, legibility and safety information was the most important need, and descriptive pictures of the block’s people and activities were especially appreciated.

The Information Architecture community also got a shout out:

“We are very lucky to have an information architect on our block to develop our ‘new and improved’ website that will be informative for all our residents.”

It is an honor to be recognized by the block for our contribution, and I thank my teammates for doing such a great job. We expect to launch the new site in June.

Read more about the West 104th Street Block Association Web Redesign.

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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.