Information Architecture - Bravo Zulu provides Website Content Management, Client Extranets and Usability Analysis

Information Architecture

Usability Consulting

One of the biggest mistakes we see companies make time and time again when embarking on a Web design project is the headlong rush to design (that is to say, "look and feel") without careful consideration of the actual user's needs. In an age where the X-box and MTV dominate our visual expectations, the allure of chromatic widgets and flying type is strong. But too often such eye candy is presented as — and mistaken for — good design.

Effective design puts the user first and begins with a sound Discovery process and a solid Information Architecture (IA). Without both, even the flashiest site is at best doomed to a visually stunning but ultimately ineffective, and lonely, existence. At worst, it may end up costing many times the original projection due to cost overruns associated with fundamental design flaws.

Information Architecture is the science of getting people to the information they seek as quickly and easily as possible. Information architects working in interactive media are chiefly concerned with five main elements of design:

Organization

Organization is the key. A classic mistake that companies make is presenting an internal view to their audience, such as literally organizing a company website to coincide with company divisions. How is the information best categorized so that it may be located and retrieved quickly and easily? It's the Information Architect's job to find out.

Labeling

The best organization in the world will be undermined by poor labeling. We see many companies make the same mistake here that they make in Organization, namely, using button or tab labels that are meaningful internally, but inscrutable to their target audience. The other common mistake is to use ten dollar words (Career Opportunities), when two dollars words (Jobs) will do just fine. The object of this name game is to make the label as immediate and unambiguous as possible, every time.

Navigation

A site that's well organized and labeled can still be rendered ineffective by clunky navigation. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as one-size-fits-all navigation. The goals and organization of your site will determine the most effective navigation strategy.

Search

There are three kinds of users on the Web: Browsers, Searchers, and Hybrid Browser/Searchers. If your site doesn't accommodate all of these (by not providing a Search box on every page, for example) it's failing one-third of your audience, pure and simple.

Web Conventions

There is an inherent conflict between traditional media (say, print) designers and interactive designers. Traditional designers are trained from the very beginning of their careers to be very conceptual and original. And for good reason. They are often competing with a zillion other messages that bombard us every day. However, high concepts and unique designs are often cumbersome to Web users who just want to find the information they came for quickly and easily. Good interactive designers on the other hand, try to leverage the familiar and the conventional in order to make the site more usable. It's why most sites place their logo in the top left corner, for example, or why the horizontal "tabbed" main navigation strategy is so ubiquitous on the web. It's because people are used to it; they don’t have to spend time figuring out how to get around in your site. Bravo Zulu never puts form ahead of function.

Bravo Zulu does IA

Bravo Zulu offers comprehensive IA consulting and usability services that will help ensure your site's success. We're happy to work with and guide internal or external graphic design teams. We can provide a solid foundation on which to build a truly beautiful —and fully functional — website.