Information Architecture is the underlying premise for how content is organized in software and websites, to give it meaning for the end-user. With roots in library science and the core skill for understanding how to build an effective website navigation, this course will take you through the methods of organizing information, teaching you how to build a taxonomy appropriate to a given website or piece of software. This course explores tenets of taxonomy, semantics, findability, decision theory and context. 

• User Research or equivalent experience 

Lesson 1  

• Introduction to Information Architecture 
• Basic Principles of IA 
• Getting IA done: context, content, users 

Lesson 1 Assignments 

• Activity: Analyze a website’s organization and share findings 
• Quiz: Basic IA principles and concepts 

Lesson 2  

• Qualitative data collection 
• Quantitative data analysis 
• User research to inform taxonomy 
• Semantics, meaning and categorization 
• Taxonomy, ontology and semantics 
• The importance of meta data 
• The LATCH Method of organization 

Lesson 2 Assignments 

• Activity: Analyze research findings from card sort, interviews and usability tests 
• Quiz: Semantics, meaning and categorization 
• Activity: Organize information into a usable taxonomy 

Lesson 3  

• Choice Theory, Cognitive Overload and Cognitive Dissonance 
• George Miller’s Magical Number Seven 
• Taxonomy data and front-end code 
• Breadcrumbs and labels 

Lesson 3 Assignments 

• Activity: Create a complex navigation system as a sitemap 
• Activity: Develop a labeling and organization system that reflects a website’s taxonomy 

Lesson 4  

• Website evolution 
• Taxonomy audits 
• Concept Maps and Affinity Diagrams 
• Data Modeling and Search Engines: Conceptual, Logical and Physical Models 

Lesson 4 Assignments 

• Activity: Audit an existing information system to expand its taxonomy 
• Activity: Generate a data model for a website’s search engine