If you're a website designer, intranet manager or someone without much Information Architecture experience, this book answers all those questions you were afraid to ask.Drawing on her many years experience of practising and teaching Information Architecture, Donna Spencer guides you through some simple steps to better IA and leaves you feeling empowered and able to run your own IA projects. Whether it's organising content, providing clear descriptions or ways for people to get to them, this book is armed with practical advice and examples.

bull; Written by expert practitioners who have hands-on experience solving real-world problems for large corporations bull; Helps enterprise architects make sense of data, systems, software, services, product lines, methodologies, and much more bull; Provides explanation of theory and implementation with real-world business examples to support key points

Organizations today exist in an environment of unprecedented change. They do so against a backdrop of a global, competitive marketplace, the fast-paced enablement of technology, amplified regulation and accelerating organizational complexity. Many organizations are addressing change in a sub-optimal way and they are operating without a clear view of where their operational risks lie. It is these dynamics that are leading organizations to recognise and embrace Business Architecture. Despite this environment, Business Architecture can be a difficult ‘sell’ - it is often perceived to be abstract and lacking in tangible delivery. To succeed, Business Architecture must be pragmatic and, to be sustainable, it must focus on achieving long-term value and, at the same time, recognise the shorter-term tactical needs of the organisation. With these challenges in mind, this book provides a practical guide on how to employ Business Architecture and how to build a balanced proposition that delivers value to a broad range of stakeholders. As the book states, Business Architecture should not be practised in isolation, nor should it be thought of as a one-off process; it needs to be woven into the fabric of the organization. And so the authors illustrate the opportunities for weaving the Business Architecture Practice into this fabric through the various stakeholders and life cycles that exist, both formally and informally, within an organization. Whilst recognizing best practice, this book explores a new, inspirational level of Business Architecture whilst acknowledging that the best way to realize the vision is one step at a time.

Today's technological advances are directly affecting the success of business tomorrow. With recent-- and continual--improvements in technology, many organizations are finding their information systems obsolete, and are having to take a close look at their current Information Systems and answer some tough questions, including: How well are our current Information Systems applications meeting the business needs today? How well can they meet the needs of our business tomorrow? Are we obtaining true value from the investments made in Information Systems? Are we integrating the Information Systems projects that provide the most value to business? What Information Systems mission, objectives, and strategies are necessary to successfully meet the business challenges of the future? A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning helps take the "guess work" out of evaluating current and future Information Systems, and provides the necessary tools for maximizing the investment made in new technology. This invaluable guide shows readers how to take advantage of the latest technology available in Information Systems planning, and how to develop a solid Information Systems plan that is directly linked to their business' goals. In an easy-to-follow, hands-on format, this complete reference describes a process for facilitating communication between business management and the Information Systems functions. Both Information Systems Executives and general business executives will find the information they need to develop a successful, value-added Information Systems plan. Readers will find a step-by-step approach to the process of developing an Information Systems plan that helps them gain a competitive edge well into the future.

The purpose of large-scale software architecture is to capture and describe practical representations to make development teams more effective. In this book the authors show how to utilise software architecture as a tool to guide the development instead of capturing the architectural details after all the design decisions have been made. * Offers a concise description of UML usage for large-scale architecture * Discusses software architecture and design principles * Technology and vendor independent

Today's web sites and intranets are larger, more valuable, and more complex than ever before, and their users are busier and less forgiving. Designers, information architects, and web site managers are required to juggle vast amounts of information, frequent changes, new technologies, and corporate politics, making some web sites look like a fast-growing but poorly planned city -roads everywhere, but impossible to navigate. A well-planned information architecture has never been as essential as it is now. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Second Edition, shows how to use both aesthetics and mechanics to create distinctive, cohesive web sites that work. Most books on web development concentrate either on the graphics or on the technical issues of a site. This book focuses on the framework that holds the two together. By applying the principles outlined in this completely updated classic, you'll build scalable and maintainable web sites that are easier to navigate and more appealing to your users. Using examples and case studies, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web will help you: Develop a strong, cohesive vision for your site that makes it both distinctive and usable; Organize your site's hierarchy in ways that are meaningful to its users and that minimize the need to re-engineer the site; Create navigation systems that allow users to move through the site without getting lost or frustrated; Accurately label your site's content; Organize your site in a way that supports both searching for specific items and casual browsing; Configure search systems so that users' queries actually retrieve meaningful results; Manage the process of developing an information architecture, from selling the concept to research and conceptual design to planning and production. "The world will be a better place when web designers read this book. It's smart, funny, and artfully distills years of the authors' bard-won experience. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web tackles political/organizational challenges as well as content, structure, and user interface. This is not design-lite, but a deep treatment of fundamental issues of information presentation that advances the state of the art. It's light years ahead of the competition." -Bonnie Nardi, Co-author of Information Ecologies- Using Technology with Heart

Today many companies are employing a user-centered design (UCD) process, but for most companies, usability begins and ends with the usability test. Although usability testing is a critical part of an effective user-centered life cycle, it is only one component of the UCD process. This book is focused on the requirements gathering stage, which often receives less attention than usability testing, but is equally as important. Understanding user requirements is critical to the development of a successful product. Understanding Your Users is an easy to read, easy to implement, how-to guide on usability in the real world. It focuses on the "user requirements gathering" stage of product development and it provides a variety of techniques, many of which may be new to usability professionals. For each technique, readers will learn how to prepare for and conduct the activity, as well as analyze and present the data —all in a practical and hands-on way. In addition, each method presented provides different information about the user and their requirements (e.g., functional requirements, information architecture, task flows). The techniques can be used together to form a complete picture of the users' requirements or they can be used separately to address specific product questions. These techniques have helped product teams understand the value of user requirements gathering by providing insight into how users work and what they need to be successful at their tasks. Case studies from industry-leading companies demonstrate each method in action. In addition, readers are provided with the foundation to conduct any usability activity (e.g., getting buy-in from management, legal and ethical considerations, setting up your facilities, recruiting, moderating activities) and to ensure the incorporation of the results into their products.·Covers all of the significant requirements gathering methods in a readable, practical way·Presents the foundation readers need to prepare for any requirements gathering activity and ensure that the results are incorporated into their products ·Includes invaluable worksheet and template appendices·Includes a case study for each method from industry leaders·Written by experienced authors who teach conference courses on this subject to usability professionals and new product designers alike

Designing experiences for humans requires balancing many needs, including business, behavior, technology, and aesthetics. The Practical Guide to Experience Design focuses on the entire process of design, from research and discovery to actual production and choreography of an experience. Design and strategy consultant Shannon E. Thomas leads the reader through the process in four phases: discovering, defining, refining, and building. Each chapter covers a single methodology, providing insight via detailed descriptions, step-by-step guidance, and high-fidelity examples. The book can either be read front to back or by following along with one of the sample designs. With an emphasis on empowering the reader to find the most appropriate method based on context and desired outcome, goal-oriented descriptions help readers understand the big picture of how design processes work together and inform each other. Whether you're well versed in the field of experience design or just getting started, this book will support you in your practice as you make decisions, influence stakeholders, and bring experiences to life.