Information Design

Learn a systematic approach to designing information architecture for the Web

Designing Web sites is no easy matter. To manage any successful Web project, someone must play the role of information designer. In today's multitasking Web design environment, that person could be you!

In this 3-lesson course, you'll learn systematic techniques for each stage of the Web site design process. You'll learn how user demographics, competitive critiques, feature lists, site maps, and wireframes are used in information design.

Whether you're a Web designer or simply a Web content editor or project manager, you'll discover how to take a site's architecture from concept to reality, gaining insights into client management along the way.

Tuition: $450 US

Course Instructor(s):

Sessions design and media instructor Bruce Bicknell
Bruce Bicknell  is a writer, instructor, illustrator, animator, Web designer, video editor, and marketing pro.
Course content developed by Leslie Dann and Mary Broadbent.
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Requirements:

To take this course you'll need:
  • Computer with Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster).
  • A software program with drawing or diagramming tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Microsoft Visio.
  • Basic experience in the software package needed for this course.
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Course Objectives:

Students learn how to:
  • Develop an understanding of the purpose of information design in the Web design process.
  • Analyze the user experience of a Web site including tasks, layout, and hierarchy, and identify the needs of different types of site user.
  • Plan a Web site project in consideration of a client brief and target audience's needs.
  • Analyze a creative brief and competitor sites to create a list of site features that meets the goals of a project.
  • Strategize navigational structures and determine appropriate relationships, labeling, and hierarchy of content.
  • Work together with visual designers to produce attractive, consistent, and functional Web pages and navigational structures.
  • Design professional-looking site maps and choose global and local navigation structures that are most relevant to site users.
  • Design professional-looking wireframes as blueprints of all major Web site pages, focusing on consistency and functionality.
  • Structure and document the information architecture for a complete Web site, from creative brief to final wireframe and site map presentation.
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Course Outline

LESSON 1 Organization and Planning

In this lesson, you will learn the basics of information design. You'll learn what tasks an information designer is typically responsible for and examine how information design is affected by user demographics. You will discover how to analyze the user tasks in an information structure and pick up tips for the organization and delivery of site content. Finally, you'll explore ways to work efficiently with clients and conduct competitive critiques. In the exercise, you will undertake a task analysis and develop a feature list and competitive critique for a sample Web site.

LESSON 2 Information Hierarchy and Navigation

This lesson reviews classic Web site features and their typical role in a navigation scheme. You'll learn approaches to grouping and labeling content at the outset of an information design project. You'll explore how to take inventory of site content, create a hierarchy, and put together recommendations for visual designers. Finally, you'll learn techniques for designing effective and professional-looking site maps. In the exercise, you'll put that knowledge to work by structuring content and developing a site map for an independent record company.

LESSON 3 Blueprinting a Web Interface

The key to any Web site project is the organization of information. It's the primary role of information design. In this lesson, you'll explore a number of methods for organizing the information on each site page. You'll learn design tips for creating clean-looking, consistent, and effective wireframes and how to use wireframes to convey information to visual and technical team members. Finally, you'll examine both standard and experimental page designs and consider concepts relating to the future of information design and site usability. In the exercise, you'll put together everything you've learned, developing everything from a creative brief to a site map and wireframes for a sample client.

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site map
Student Susan Bunbury's map of a complex Web site