GSLIS Information Architecture Project

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Overview

As part of the overall Simmons College “web refresh” project currently in the works at the Web Office, the GSLIS Publications/Web Team was invited to propose a new information architecture (IA) for the GSLIS web sites (http://www.simmons.edu/gslis and http://my.simmons.edu/gslis). Our team includes the Publications Team (Jen Doyle, Elisabeth Zimmer, Alisa Libby and Alison Cody), Caryn Anderson, and Linnea Johnson. We put together a process and a schedule to meet our ultimate goal: to propose a new information architecture scheme to the Web Office by Thanksgiving, and to make any revisions before the end of the semester.

We are currently conducting a full content inventory of each site and recruiting current GSLIS students to work on this project—either as volunteers or as an independent study supervised by Terry Plum. If you are interested in working actively on this project, please see the instructions for How to Apply as soon as possible.

When the larger team is assembled, we will conduct interviews and collect data to help develop user personas— fictional people who represent the different user groups for the GSLIS websites. (For example, current and prospective students look for different types of information than alumni and GSLIS professors, so we might have a persona for each.) Next, we will conduct a card-sorting study. Users will group cards representing website topics in whatever way makes the most sense to them. This will show us how our users think the topics should be organized.

Based on the results of the card sort, we will develop an information architecture. To test it, we will use paper prototyping—users will interact with a paper mockup of the website, enabling us to see if the information architecture is easily understood by users. After analyzing the results from the paper prototyping, we will revise the information architecture and perform another round of paper prototyping. At that point, we will revise the IA once more and submit our proposal to the Web Office for their input.

Project Description

Why (Problem/Need): The online presence of GSLIS is not effective for many users.

What (Solution): Create an information architecture (IA) for organizing GSLIS information online.

How (Steps):

1. Content Inventory
2. User Personas
3. Card Sorting Study
4. IA Development
5. Paper Prototyping Testing
6. Revise IA
7. Retest
8. Prepare and submit design to Simmons College web office
9. Revise IA based on web office feedback
10. Submit final design to web office and recommend IA for alternate GSLIS sites

Who: IA Team of GSLIS students in cooperation with the GSLIS Publications Team (Jen Doyle, Elisabeth Zimmer, Alisa Libby and Alison Cody), Caryn Anderson, and Linnea Johnson.

When: Fall 2007 term; Draft design submitted by Thanksgiving (Step 8), final design submitted before term ends (Step 10)

Where: Some activities may benefit from face to face meetings, but most work can be handled virtually. GSLIS West students are encouraged to participate.

If you are interested in working actively on this project, please see the instructions for How to Apply as soon as possible.

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