- Very comprehensive overview of Information Architecture.
- Good overview of all the aspects of Information Architecture
- I really like that there is a whole chapter on selling IA in the business environment.
- Two interesting case studies that show you how to implement IA.
- None
- The first section explains what IA is and how it's used.
- Part 2 is the meat of the book - explaining the basics of Information Architecture.
- Part 3 shows you how to research and strategize your IA efforts.
- Part 4 covers various ways that IA is used in practice, including how to build a team.
- Part 5 examines how IA can benefit an organization.
- And the last section has two case studies: MSWeb and evolt.org.
I have had this book on my desk for almost a year. So long that in just a few weeks you'll be able to buy the third edition (compare prices). But it hasn't sat there because I haven't wanted to review it. No, it's been there because I keep reading and re-reading it, and never find the time to actually write a review of it.
This is a Great Book for People Who Work on Large sites
It's also great for people who work on small sites. But architecting your information structures becomes a lot more important the more information you have. After all, you don't really need a card catalog if you only own four books. You probably know where they all are and what they're about.
One of the hardest things that IA people struggle with right now is convincing management that they should spend money on IA. But this book has a chapter devoted just to that titled "Making the Case for Information Architecture." Whether your manager is a "by the numbers" or a "gut reactionary" person, this chapter will help you sway them to your side in getting your site IA evaluated and taken care of.
Buy This Book
Unless you're planning on only building personal Web pages with a small audience, you should have an understanding of information architecture when you build your Web site. This book is all you'll need.
