Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (Paperback)

Part I. Introducing Information Architecture

1. Defining Information Architecture
A Definition
Tablets, Scrolls, Books, and Libraries
Explaining IA to Others
What Isn't Information Architecture?
Why Information Architecture Matters
Bringing Our Work to Life

2. Practicing Information Architecture
Do We Need Information Architects?
Who's 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

Part II. Basic Principles of Information Architecture

4. The Anatomy of an Information Architecture
Visualizing Information Architecture
Information Architecture Components

5. Organization Systems
Challenges of Organizing 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
Supplemental 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
Technical Lingo
A Thesaurus in Action
Types of Thesauri
Thesaurus Standards
Semantic Relationships
Preferred Terms
Polyhierarchy
Faceted Classification

Part III. Process and Methodology

10. Research
Process Overview
A Research Framework
Context
Content
Users
Participant Definition and Recruiting
User Research Sessions
In Defense of Research

11. Strategy
What Is an Information Architecture Strategy?
Strategies Under Attack
From 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 Architecture
Blueprints
Wireframes
Content Mapping and Inventory
Content Modeling
Controlled Vocabularies
Design Sketches
Web-Based Prototypes
Architecture Style Guides
Point-of-Production Architecture
Administration

Part IV. Information Architecture in Practice

13. Education
Chaos in Education
A World of Choice
But Do I Need a Degree?

14. Ethics
Ethical Considerations
Shaping the Future

15. Building 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

Part V. Information Architecture in the Organization

17. Making the Case for Information Architecture
You Must Sell
The Two 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 Don't Always Scale
\'Think Different\'
The Ultimate Goal
A Framework for Centralization
Timing Is Everything: A Phased Rollout
Strategy Versus Tactics: Who Does What
A Framework for Moving Forward

Part VI. Case Studies

20. MSWeb: An Enterprise Intranet
Challenges for the User
Challenges for the Information Architect
We Like Taxonomies, Whatever They Are
Benefits to Users
What's Next
MSWeb's Achievement

21. evolt.org: An Online Community
evolt.org in a Nutshell
Architecting an Online Community
The Participation Economy
How Information Architecture Fits In
Trouble Spots for Online Communities
The \'Un-Information Architecture\'

Appendix: Essential Resources