Information Architecture for the World Wide Web

Chapter 2. Introduction to Information Architecture

Information Architect: 1) the individual who organizes the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear; 2) a person who creates the structure or map of information which allows others to find their personal paths to knowledge; 3) the emerging 21st century professional occupation addressing the needs of the age focused upon clarity, human understanding and the science of the organization of information.^[2]

—Richard Saul Wurman

The Role of the Information Architect

Now that you know right from wrong from the web consumer’s perspective, you’re in a much better position to develop a web site. But besides needing a sophisticated knowledge of what works for consumers of the Web, what’s actually involved in creating a web site?

Obviously, you need HTML pages. Maybe you’ll grab a good HTML book or a decent HTML editing package. Maybe a high school kid can do the trick for peanuts. What about the copy for those pages? It needs to come from somewhere—perhaps existing brochures and documentation; perhaps it needs to be written from scratch. You’ll also need some graphic design expertise to make sure that the pages are laid out with effective use of text, white space, and attractive images. Of course you’ll need a server that is connected to the Internet; this you can lease, or you can buy one of your own. If you do, just be sure to hire someone sufficiently technically astute to administer that server. Perhaps that person should also ...