Tree testing provides a cheap and effective way of checking draft navigation before proceeding further into a redesign.
Archives for information architecture
Card sorting: online versus offline.
When should online card sorting be used, and how to make the most of it as a research technique?
Creating effective intranet "shop windows".
Intranets filled with ‘blah blah’ landing pages can make it impossible for staff to find what they need.
There is no “one true” top-level intranet navigation.
I have often said that intranets hold up a mirror to the organisations they serve. Their purpose, content, structure and navigation must all reflect the…
Identifying staff tasks.
Intranets are most useful when they help staff do their jobs. This includes finding a key piece of information (‘what is the address for our…
How long should the intranet homepage be?.
Intranet homepages are always contentious. In most organisations, every stakeholder would like a piece of this valuable real estate, and debates rage around the overall…
Identifying staff tasks.
Understanding common and important staff tasks underpins every aspect of intranet design and management.
Do intranets only need search?.
Every once in a while, intranet teams have to justify the amount of time they spend structuring their sites and improving navigation. Stakeholders, often very…
Do intranets only need search?.
Can we replace our intranet homepages with a Google-inspired search page?
Structuring three types of content.
The fundamental goal of developing a new structure for an intranet is to produce something that works well for staff. As discussed in the earlier…