Principles: Organizational Systems
Information organization and access is a timeless problem and primary task in the field of librarianship and information science. Rapid content growth related to digital and online access over the last few years has created an enormous need for innovation in content organization. As we see more and more people publishing and organizing their own information, the challenges in organizing this information has become even more prominent. Below are some common concerns:
- Ambiguity - classification systems are built upon language and language is ambiguous - when we use words as labels we run the risk that users will miss our specific meaning - we also need to agree on which objects go into which categories
- Heterogeneity - refers to an object or collection of objects composed of unrelated or unlike parts - web sites are heterogeneous - they often provide access to resources of varying levels of granularity - this makes it difficult to impose any single structured organizational system
- Differences in Perspectives - labeling and organizing are intensely personal in nature - to design usable organization systems we must let go of our own mental models and strive to understand our intended audience - provide multiple paths of navigation
- Internal Politics - be sensitive to the organization's political environment and remain focused on the user
Organization Schemes
There are two general types of organization schemes: exact and ambiguous.
Exact Organization Schemes. Exact organization divides information into well-defined and mutually exclusive sections. It is best for known-item searching when users know what they are looking for.
- Alphabetical - serves as an umbrella for other organizational schemes (i.e., encyclopedias, dictionaries, alphabetical indexes). ArtLex Art Dictionary is an example.
- Chronological - provides important context for the content and is often used in conjunction with other schemes to provide additional access points (i.e., magazine archives, history books). Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline is an example.
- Geographical - used for location dependent or specific information (i.e., news, weather, political, social and economic issues). MapQuest and Weather.com are example.
Ambiguous Organization Schemes. Ambiguous organization divides information into categories that defy exact definition. It is best for browsing and associative learning when users have a vague information need.
- Topic - one of the most useful and challenging organzational schemes. It is important to define the breadth of coverage; defining the "universe of content" that users will expect to find within an area of the web site. The National Park Service is an example. They have sections on parks & recreation, history & culture, nature & science, and interpretation & education.
- Task - organize content and applications into a collection of processes, functions and tasks. It is used se when you anticipate a large number of high-priority tasks that users will want to perform such as e-commerce sites embedded within other organizational schemes. Sony is an example with many national and international divisions, services, and products.
- Audience - use when there are 2 or more clearly defined audiences for a web site - frequented by repeat visitors who go to a specific section of the site - allows for personalization. Storyplace is an example with an English and Spanish entrance to the website.
- Metaphor - used to help users relate to the unfamiliar - metaphors if used successfully must be familiar to the user. However they can also introduce unwanted baggage, be limiting, and may create inconsistency within the site. The Microbe Zoo is an example.
- Hybrids - blending elements of a variety of org schemes into one; this can be very confusing to users. However some websites do a good job with this by providing an effective entry page. The Library of Congress contains headings that focus on searching, audience, information, and news in additional to major collections.
Organization Structures
Before you begin developing your own projects, you need to be able to recognize information architecture when you see it. While some websites are collections of webpages that have been thrown into the same folder, others are carefully organized information libraries ready to be accessed.
Information architecture is the process of carefully planning and implementing information-rich materials. The organization structure plays an intangible role in the design of web sites. We find structure all around us - movies are linear, plots may be nonlinear, maps are spatial in structure, etc. Structure defines the way users navigate through the site. Major web site organizational structures include: the hierarchy (top-down), the database-oriented model (bottom-up), and hypertext.
The Hierarchy: A Top-Down Approach
This approach is the foundation for most information architectures. Often viewed visually as hierarchies, family trees, life charts (kingdoms and classes and species), and books (chapters and sections) are examples. Users can quickly and easily adapt to information organized via hierarchy.
"Location-specific" websites often use the top-down approach. Designers start by thinking about their organization (i.e., school, library, museum, nonprofit, business) and considering all the information that people need. Some questions users may ask:
- Where am I?
- How do I find out about...?
- What's going on at...?
- What's available on this site?
- How can I communicate with XYZ?
- How do I get back to the main page?
- How do I search for...?
Examine the entry page of most university websites such as IUPUI. A main page where the designer has tried to anticipate the major questions users bring with them to the website and has designed the site to meet those needs.
The Database Model: A Bottom-Up Approach
Databases are sometimes used to store the components of a website. The term database can be used to describe any organized collection of information arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval. Or, the term database can also be used to describe the use of a specific electronic database management system software such as FileMaker or Microsoft Access. An electronic library catalog uses the database model. Titles, authors, subjects, keywords, etc. can all easily be searched to locate individual records or web pages (previously known at catalog cards).
"Content-driven" websites often use the bottom-up approach. For example, website collections (i.e., virtual art galleries, poetry collections), sales sites (i.e., auction websites, online catalog sales), and identification keys (i.e., animal database, science tables) often use bottom-up construction. They start with a collection of individual pieces of information or resources and bring them together with a "front-end" starting point or search tools.
Examine the All Recipes website. This website contains individual pages where information is "chunked" so that browsing and searching are supported. The chunks are sequenced in a logical manner. And the structure inherent in the content allows the answers to the user's questions to come to the surface. Go to the recipes page of All Recipes. Notice how each collection contains a different subdomain such as http://meals.allrecipes.com/. This can also be done with subdirectories or folders.
Hypertext Approach
Hypertext is a highly nonlinear way of structuring information. It involves items or chunks of information to be linked and the links between the chunks. Because it can be potentially very complex and confusing for users, it is often used to complement other organizational structures.
Creating a cohesive organizational system involves the utilization of a variety of schemes and structures. The web presents us with ambiguous language, content that is unrelated in many ways, and different perspectives.
Look for all three approaches at the NOAA website.
Read Chapter 5: Organization Systems in Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 3rd edition by Peter Morville & Louis Rosenfeld.
Practice different ways to organize "stuff". For example, buy a bag of mixed candies. Create an organizational structure for your bag of goodies. What scheme/s did you use to organize your "goodies"? What structure defines your collection?