Many websites redesign within some months or years, but what goes wrong when you cannot recognize the website after a few redesigns? Many commercial websites change their total colour combinations and basically, there whole image. Because they want something more modern and more special look. Of course redesigns "are most of the time" needed to keep the site in the spotlights and new user or business goals that need influence.
Lets take an example, Amazon.com a modern, interesting and friendly look. But how many big changes did Amazon.com made in these several years? Maybe one or two changes that really changed Amazon.com in the eyes of the users. I think that its important to not change any of the colour combinations or global structure but only add details and simplify the website. But where does the information architect come in?
They come in at step one and start working with the items given, examples of these are:
- Improved navigation
- Improved structure
- Improved code
I always then start with an idea (b)log. Because I need to be able to note them anywhere I am and because I always lose my notebook. Of course some statistics help such as the most interested topics and all other subjects related to the user database and the business goals so I can make a good primary persona and two/three secondary personas. After having done some of the logical steps in the process content inventory, discovery document, putting all post it's in maps. Then we (Web designer - Me) get inside the wire frame process, we start thinking analytically about the whole process and all the needs of the content.
"Web designers have been led to believe that they're restricted to doing what they've always done and should leave the information architecture to the information architects. This does not have to happen. " Joshua Kaufman - February 17, 2005
The key problems are now gone, but the details coming around every corner. Now the Web designer and I can start with the redesign process. Because we have a good view of what the Users want and how changes will influence the factor of recognising the website.
Related Links :
Amazon CSS Style
Information Architecture as an Extension of Web Design
The subject for this blog entry was noticed by DaRamirez. My new blog post will be related to the goals I will set for this new year, this is because of my birthday.
Discussion
The frustrating thing that I find with most 'designers' is that they can totally change a companies corporate image if they're not careful. Believe it or not, some companies (mostly fortune and public companies) will not only restrict your usage of colors and fonts, but even go so far as to restrict the usage of tones in said colors.
I find that in this industry the number of people who focus on content then structure followed by design are far too few. I think that (though some would definately argue my point) most focus on the aesthetic, then build their sites around it. This is slowly changing, with the push of accessibility and new technology, but not fast enough. (Remember the tag soup of the FONT tag, where a standard was almost impossible to set?)
Joshua does have a good point however; Designers are not restricted. However, with freedom of the concept and structure of a page going hand in hand, they must realise that information is much akin to structure and must be respected.
Designers, as I've said, should stick to design if they've no concept of structure. However, if they can appreciate the concept for 'form follows function' then they should most definately been given a fair amount of freedom.
-Ryan
February 19, 2005
Well many designers go from sketch straight into Photoshop or any other graphical/code program. To create a stable ground for accessibility and new technology focused on Experience Design and Information Architecture, wire frames are needed. A wonderful book related to this issue is : Web ReDesign 2.0 written by Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler.
"However, with freedom of the concept and structure of a page going hand in hand, they must realise that information is much akin to structure and must be respected." Ryan Brooks
I hope that within the comming years, much will change on this field and that there will come information related to the right combination of concept and structure. Todays information related to these subjects are only "talking" and not efficient workflows that help with complexities, pitfalls, and cost risks.
February 19, 2005
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