Pervasive Information Architecture: Designing Cross-Channel User Experiences

by Andrea Resmini, Luca Rosati

Overview

Pervasive Information Architecture explains the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of pervasive information architecture (IA) through detailed examples and real-world stories. It offers insights about trade-offs that can be made and techniques for even the most unique design challenges. The book will help readers master agile information structures while meeting their unique needs on such devices as smart phones, GPS systems, and tablets.

The book provides examples showing how to: model and shape information to adapt itself to users’ needs, goals, and seeking strategies; reduce disorientation and increase legibility and way-finding in digital and physical spaces; and alleviate the frustration associated with choosing from an ever-growing set of information, services, and goods. It also describes relevant connections between pieces of information, services and goods to help users achieve their goals.

This book will be of value to practitioners, researchers, academics, andstudents in user experience design, usability, information architecture, interaction design, HCI, web interaction/interface designer, mobile application design/development, and information design. Architects and industrial designers moving into the digital realm will also find this book helpful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780123820945
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	03/30/2011
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Andrea is an information architect with FatDUX, a UX firm with headquarters in Copenhagen, and a researcher at the University of Borås, Sweden.

An ICT professional since 1989 and a practising information architect since 1999, Andrea holds a PhD in Legal Informatics and a MA in Architecture and Industrial Design, and he is currently President of the Information Architecture Institute.

He pretends to play the piano, reads far too many books, chairs the Italian IA Summit, and co-founded the Journal of Information Architecture.

Luca is a freelance information architect. One of Italy’s pioneer, he has been a speaker at several international conferences - including EuroIA, the IA Summit, and HCI International.

Luca is the co-author of the book Organizing Knowledge: From Libraries to Information Architecture for the Web (Tecniche Nuove, 2006) and the author of Information Architecture: From Everyday things to the Web (Apogeo, 2007).

He is a member of the EuroIA Organizing Committee, sits on the Italian IA Summit Board, and is and editor for the Journal of Information Architecture.

Table of Contents

PART 1 – FOUNDATIONS

Chapter 1- From Multi-channel to Cross-media

Chapter 2- Towards a Pervasive Information Architecture

PART 2 – HEURISTICS

Chapter 3- Heuristics for a Pervasive Information Architecture

Chapter 4- Place-making

Chapter 5- Consistency

Chapter 6- Resilience

Chapter 7- Reduction

Chapter 8- Correlation

PART 3 – SYNTHESIS

Chapter 9- Designing Cross-channel User Experiences

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Craft intuitive and accessible information architecture in a post-desktop world!

Editorial Reviews

"This book is required reading for all information architects and user experience designers. It’s a brilliant guide to the design of products and experiences that bridge multiple platforms and channels… The best book you'll find about the emerging practice of cross-channel user experience design." —Peter Morville, foreword author and author of Ambient Findability and co-author of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web

"The rise of pervasive technology encourages information to roam free from the confines of the desktop into every aspect of our lives. To navigate this complex, cross-media environment, we need master architects. This book, from two of the field’s foremost thinkers, is a shining landmark for this new world." —Cennydd Bowles, author, Undercover User Experience Design

"It has been a long time since I've been excited about an Information Architecture book. Andrea and Luca have done something truly innovative in bringing Information Architecture out of the design studio and into the streets. A lot of people talk about "pervasive" and "holistic" as ideals — this book provides solid thought around cross-channel/multi-channel customer experience design. It effectively challenges the view that any one service delivery channel (such as web, or call center, or shopfront) can be considered in isolation. I will be actively recommending this book to colleagues and clients." —Andrew Boyd, UX Community Lead, SMS Management and Technology (http://smsmt.com)

"Resmini and Rosati have delivered a landmark volume in the evolution of information architecture, communicating relatively esoteric insights about our changing info-landscape in a humane and personable manner. If your work involves shaping how people experience digital and data-informed products and services, then you need to read this book."—Christian Crumlish, co-author of Designing Social Interfaces

"This unique text offers an attractive, reader-friendly layout, demonstrating concepts creatively with thought-provoking color and b&w photos, illustrations, and images, many from art history. The volume is designed so that readers can jump from image to image and find the core ideas of the chapter. Sidebars of key ideas also increase the book's browsability. Employing a multidisciplinary approach to information architecture and the design of the new pervasive information spaces, the book draws on insights in diverse disciplines from cognitive psychology to cinema. Each chapter begins with a short story and concludes with case studies and a list of articles, books, movies, and videos. Part 1 surveys information architecture as both a field of practice and a research discipline. Part 2 illustrates five design principles, and Part 3 shows how to apply these principles with a real-life case study. Parts 2 and 3 include boxed contributions from international authors, researchers, and practitioners. Readers can access a companion web site and a blog." —Reference and Research Book News

From the Publisher