Information Architecture

1. Erika Lewis, James Wetherill, Paul Coyle, Vivien Lau IDIA 630.085 Information Architecture Dr. Nancy Kaplan University of Baltimore, Spring 2009 Information Architecture

2. Agenda • Overview • Business Goals • Current HPPBU Website • Strategy • Content Inventory • Description • Concept Model • Mental Model • User Personas • New Design: Sitemap • Wireframes • Page Flow Comparison • Recommendations • Questions and Answers

3. 1. Overview • SAIC’s product is information: • employee development is critical. • need identified during bi-annual internal poll • SAIC’s intranet contains development resources • these are scattered and not well-organized • time constraints on their use • Objective – identify resources, and place them in context • encourage employee development • Build community • increase employee retention. 3

4. 2. Business Goals Challenge – create an information architecture that will: • Increase the capabilities of the HPPBU employee development website • Allow employees to maximize their use of the resources • Reflects SAIC’s commitment to employee development 4

5. 3. Current HPPBU Home Page 5

6. 4. Strategy - Content Inventory 6

7. 4. Strategy Continued • The main features of the proposed information architecture: • Reorganization of important links • Information within the business units area available for customization • Focusing the users attention on the 4 main areas most utilized on the SAIC site • Consistency of terminology, design and navigation with Quicklinks visible within a single page fold • Collapsible menus have been used 7

8. 4. Strategy – Concept Model 8

9. User 4. Strategy – Mental Model Learns About Selects Documents Training Communicates Authors Selects Rates for Recommends for Social Networking People Sends Collaborates 9

10. 5. User Personas I Age Between 22 - 30 Occupation Junior Software Engineer Education 4-yr College Computing and Web Experience Expert Interest/ Activities Daily Blog, Twitter, iPhone, Training Programs, Corporate Intranet 10

11. 5. User Personas II Age Between 50 - 65 Occupation Senior Project Manager Education Master Degree Computing and Web Experience Beginner/ Intermediate Interest/ Activities Phone, for “getting things done” that do not require a computer.; a strong interest in adoption of any tool which can make her business unit more productive 11

12. 5. User Personas III Age Between 30 - 45 Occupation Business Unit Manager Education Master Degree Computing and Web Experience Intermediate/ Expert Interest/ Activities Office Events, Documents that are relevant to the current project. 12

13. 6. New Design - Sitemap 13

14. 7. Wireframes • User wants… • an integrated, consistent interface • view the summary of regularly performed tasks • monitor information related to the job • a hub to access various organization related resources/data • to personalize content 14 Sources: Human Factors Internal – The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design Class Material

15. 7. Wireframes Continued • Structure and Navigation: • Show the logical default state of the application • Have primary tasks that are prominent • Support frequency of use • Be efficient. Support doing the task quickly or accurately • Match the user’s metal model • It behaves as the user expects 15 Sources: Human Factors Internal – The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design Class Material

16. 7. Wireframes - High Level Concept Branding/ Message 1 1 HPPBU’s Global Navigation 4 2 2 3 Landing Page Content 3 5 Quick Links 6 4 HPPBU Sub Navigation 5 Feedback 6 16

17. 7. Wireframes – HPPBU Home Page Enable Access to the Homepage 1 1 2 Create Positive 1st Impression 1. Tag line 2. Banner 2 2 4 Present All Major Options on the Homepage 3 3 5 Moderate White Space 4 List of Contents 5 17 Sources: Bailey, R.W. 2000, from http://www.webusability.com; Chaparro B. S. 2009. from http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/111/eyetracking.asp; Nielsen, J. 2001, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox; Human Factors International Class Material

18. 7. Wireframes – HPPBU Home Page – Mouse Over Quick Links 18

19. 7. Wireframes – 2nd Level Page 19

20. 7. Wireframes – 3rd Level Page Breadcrumb Navigation 1 1 20 Sources: Bailey, B. (2003). from http://www.webusability.com/article_website_breadcrumbs_8_2003.htm

21. 7. HPPBU Wireframes – Navigation Global/ Primary Navigation Menus in the Left Panel 1 1 21

22. 7. HPPBU Wireframes – Page Fold Keep All Important Information Above the Page Fold 22 Sources: Human Factors Internal – The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design class material

23. 8. Page Flow Comparison – Download Medical Claims Form 23

24. 8. Page Flow Comparison – Download SAIC University Course Catalog 24

25. 9. Recommendations • Training and Feedback: • The need for an employee development web site was identified through a bi-annual survey. Smaller scale interim surveys of the user population should be conducted to evaluate the acceptance of the employee development web site, identifying opportunities for improvement. • Establish a systematic program of site traffic analysis to track how users are navigating through the site and identify the resources that are most heavily used. 25

26. 9. Recommendations Continued • Community Building • Branding and Value of business unit • Feedback • Social Networking Applications 26

27. 9. Recommendations Continued • User Centered Design • Keep the global navigation menus in the left panel • Enable access to the homepage • Creative positive 1st impression • Present all major options on the homepage • User “Icons” to help user scan quickly, short phrases, and sentences, & small readable paragraphs. • Moderate white space • List of Contents • Use breadcrumb navigation on the third level page. 27

28. 9. Recommendations Continued • Users can only rate or tag specific pages within the intranet. • Make the employee profile interactive. • Provide incentives such gifts or other bonuses to utilize the site during and after work time. 28

29. Questions?