Those interested in web design with an emphasis on users and not coding/markup will find S532 to be a great fit! You learn usable, common technologies to achieve information seeking and use needs for specific purposes by particular users. Information architecture is the practice of maximizing “findability,” or the ease with which users can find information on websites and in other digital interfaces (e.g., apps) according to their needs and expectations. While related to user experience and interface design, information architecture is distinct in that it focuses on the curation, organization, and placement of information; it also concerns the strategic deployment of waypoints, maps, and other tools to aid information seeking. Successful information architecture is supported by using quantitative and qualitative user research methods to better understand user-information interactions and expectations. Week-to-week, students practice hands-on techniques, read approachable texts, and learn from best practices established in the field of information architecture.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- explain the difference between information architecture and other information and interaction-based professions (e.g., user experience design, web design)
- characterize information seeking needs in order to plan for information architectures
- evaluate information systems and organizational structures in information architecture interfaces
- design taxonomies according to user needs and to maximize findability of content
- use quantitative and qualitative research methods to test and iteratively develop information architecture products
- install, manage, and optimize an open-source content management system to maximize information organization and findability using information architecture concepts
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