Tag Archives: information architecture

Don’t Prevent Users From Doing What You Want Them to Do

By Georgia Otto | Published: 04.29.2010
Every site is created with a purpose, most commonly to provide information, generate leads or sell products. Unfortunately, your website could be its own worst enemy. An astonishing number of websites contain critical usability errors that actually prevent users from completing the very task for which the site was designed. This article should help you [...]
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How to Avoid 6 Common Pitfalls of Homepage Design

By Georgia Otto | Published: 04.19.2010
Greetings to anyone who’s still following this blog! Your loyalty is greatly appreciated. Much has happened in my life since my last post, and I can’t say when I’ll post again. But for now, you can learn How to Avoid 6 Common Pitfalls of Homepage Design from my latest entry on the CommonPlaces [...]
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Mega IA: Thinking Outside the Box

By Georgia Otto | Published: 11.18.2009
For the November meeting of the NHUPA, I did a 10-minute talk about the effects of social media on information architecture. This blog entry provides some additional resources for anyone interested in doing further research on the topic. You can also download the original slides and handout. For those who missed the presentation, I’ll give you a [...]
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NHUPA – Design Slam!

By Georgia Otto | Published: 04.21.2009
Last month’s NHUPA meeting had an interesting format, the “Design Slam” workshop. The basic idea was that a non-profit organization presented goals and needs for a new website (to be designed from scratch, not a redesign). Then we all split into groups to plan and design a specific aspect of the site. We determined our [...]
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Two New Tools for Quick Usability Testing

By Georgia Otto | Published: 03.6.2009
In a previous entry, I discussed the need for better UX design tools. Now, from the makers of OptimalSort, come two new tools for testing the usability of your IA and interface design. Treejack You input a sitemap in the form of a hierarchically structured list and assign tasks for test participants to perform. Participants navigate through the [...]
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Conventional Doesn’t Mean Comprehensible – Common Labels That Aren’t So Clear

By Georgia Otto | Published: 01.26.2009
Has anyone ever noticed how ambiguous certain terminology is online? I’ve heard complaints from users of varying levels of experience, and I’m sure for new users it’s especially confusing. Most experienced web users may not notice how confusing some wording is, and even if they do, it’s not hindering their ability to get things done. [...]
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Two Card Sorting Tools For User Experience Design

By Georgia Otto | Published: 01.19.2009
Following from last week’s discussion about UX design tools, here are a couple of free webapps that allow you to set up card sorting exercises and analyze the results. For those who may not know, a card sort is an exercise often used by Information Architects and other UX professionals to reveal natural patterns in the [...]
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Improving User Experience Design Tools – The Spirit is Willing, But the Flesh is Weak

By Georgia Otto | Published: 01.15.2009
User Experience professionals are frequently concerned with bridging the gap between themselves and the users of systems they design. However, there is a parallel gap that needs to be closed between UX designers and the developers of UX design tools. A series of surveys conducted in 2006 by associates of The Information Architecture Institute revealed [...]
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