Foreword
Preface
PartI. Inrtoducing Information Architecture
1. Defining Information Architecture
A Definition
Tabletas,Scrolls,Books,and Libraries
Explaining IA to Others
What Isnt Information Architecture?
Why Information Architecture Matters
Bringing Our Work to Life
2. Practicing Information Architecture
Do We Need Information Architects?
Whos Qualified to Practice Information Architecture?
Information Architecture Specialists
Practicing Information Architecture in the Real World
Information Ecologies
What Lies Ahead
3. User Needs and Behaviors
The"Too-simple" Information Model
Information Needs
Information Seeking Behaviors
PartII. Basic Principles of Information Architecture
4. The Anatomy of an Information Architecture
Visualizing Information Architecture
Information Architecture Components
5. Organization Systems
Challenges of Organizaing Information
Organizing Web Sites and Intranets
Organization Schemes
Organization Structures
Creating Cohesive Organization Systems
6. Labeling Systems
Why You Should Care About Labeling
Varieties of Labels
Designing Labels
7. Navigation Systems
Types of Navigation Systems
Gray Matters
Browser Navigation Features
Building Context
Improving Flexibility
Embedded Navigation Systems
Advanced Navigation Approaches
8. Search Systems
Does Your Site Need Search?
Basic Search System Anatomy
Choosing What to Search
Search Algorithms
Presenting Results
Designing the Search Interface
Where to Learn More
9. Thesauri,Controlled Vocabularies,and Metadata
Metadata
Controlled Vocabularies
Thchnical Lingo
A Thesaurus in Action
Types of Thesauri
hesaurus Standards
Semantic Relationships
Preferred Terms
Polyhierarchy
Faceted Classification
PartIII Process and Methodology
10.Research
Process Overview
A Research Framework
Context
Content
Users
Participant Ddfinition and Recruiting
User Research Sessions
In Defense of Research
11.Strategy
What is an Information Architecture Strategy?
Strategies Under Attack
Form Research to Strategy
Developing the Strategy
Work Products and Deliverables
The Strategy Report
The Project Plan
Presentations
12.Design and Documentation
Guidelines for Diagramming an Information A rchitecture
Blueprints
Wireframes
Content Mapping and Inventory
Content Modeling
Controlled Vocabularyes
Design Sketches
Web-Based Prototypes
Architecture Style Guides
Point -of -Production Architecture
Administration
PartIV
13.Education
Chaos in Education
A World of Choice
But Do I Need a Degree?
14.Ethics
EthicalConsiderations
Shaping the Futures
15.Builing an Information Architecture Team
Destructive Acts of Creation
Fast and Slow Layers
Project Versus Program
Buy or Rent
Do We Really NEED TO Hire Professionals?
The Dream Team
16.Tools and Software
A Time of Change
Categories in Chaos
Questions to Ask
PprtV. Information Architecture in the Organization
17.Making the Case for Information Architecture
You Must Sell
The Tow Kinds of People in the World
Running the Numbers
Talking to the Reactionaries
Other Case-Making Techniques
The Information architecture Value Checklist
A Final Note
18.Business Strategy
The Origins of Strategy
Defining Business Strategy
Strategic Fit
Exposing Gaps in Business Strategy
One Best Way
Many Good Ways
Understanding Our Elephant
Competitive Advantage
The End of the Beginning
19.Information Architecture for the Enterprise
Economies Dont Always Scale
"Think Different"
The Ultimate Goal
A Frameword for Centralization
Timing is Everything:Aphased Rollout
Stategy Versus Tactics:Who Does What
A Framework for Moving Forward
PartVI. Case Studies
20.MSWeb:An Enterprise Intranet
Challenges for the User
Challenges for the Information Architect
We Like Taxonomies,Whatever They Are
Benefits to User
Whats Next
MSWebs Achievement
21.evolt.org:An Online Community
evolt.org in a Nutshell
Architecting an Online Community
The Participation Economy
How Infornation Architecture Fits In
Troble spots for Online Communities
The "Un-Information Architecture"
Appendix:Essential Resources
Index