Site Maps

Newhouse Military Site Map, Picture Health, 2010

Information Architecture [IA] and the Global Site Map

Before you start pushing pixels you have to have a plan for your all your content, a map of how information is arranged and flows, in comes the site map or content map to the rescue. This allows us to logically organize and access all our information before we spend long hours designing and then coding our site. There’s nothing worse than spending hours getting a mockup just right and then realizing that you forgot an element, ugh! Omit this step at your own risk.

READING | Interact with Web Standars

  • Chapter 6

IA DELIVERABLES

  • Primary audience goals
  • User type(s) or Persona(s)
  • Content innovatory
  • Competitive analysis
  • Content strategy statement
  • Content outline
  • Content gap analysis
  • Site map or diagram
  • Page description
  • Wireframes

WHAT IA IS NOT

  • Project management
  • Copywriting
  • Usability testing
  • Visual design
  • Web Development
  • Quality testing

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

  • What is the full URL path?
  • What content will be displayed on each page, make a list.
  • What content types will be displayed on each page?
  • How is this page relevant in relation to other pages, think hierarchy

DOWNLOADS

2010 Newhouse Military complete project package | ZIP

RESOURCES

Information Architecture 101: Techniques and Best Practices | Link

Multi-level Site Map Example | Link

 

Phases of Website Creation

1) Client List of goals (e.g. target audience, user profiles, mission statement)

2) Developers take the list of goals and writes up a creative brief

3) Client/Designer develops a site map and wireframes

4) Client/Designer writes up style guide – a breakdown of the design elements in a specific way (color, fonts, etc). This will be used as reference to provide consistency.

5) Client/Designer writes the UI descriptive document – describes how each page element actually works, the functionality. This is another layer of planning to reduce ambiguity.

6) Client/Designer creates mockups for each page, in great detail, down to the padding and margins

7) Actual programming takes place

8) Developer/internal tests the site – make sure all the functionality works

9) Developer/Client review – back and forth sharing period to find any mistakes

10) Publish with a soft launch – “Alpha” Phase – within a non-public URL environment

11) Beta Phase – Final bug fixes.

12) Final launch

  • Categories

  • Professors

    MMM

    Deb Pang Davis
    Newhouse 3, RM 236
    dpangdav@syr.edu
    315.443.8287

    Office Hours
    Mondays > 3:30-4:30 p.m.
    Tuesdays > 10-11 a.m. & 2:15-3:15 p.m.
    Thursdays > 10-11 a.m.

    MPJ

    Ken Harper
    Newhouse, RM 500
    kharpe01@syr.edu
    315.443.6131
    Office Hours
    W | TH 3:30–5:30

    Teaching Assistant

    Scott DuChene
    Photo lab. Rm 207/N1
    Office Hours
    Fri 10:30 - 12:30 and from 2:30 - 4:30

  • Course Server Info for Major Projects

    Place all Major Project assignments on the course server folder

    SolarNH

    • UN: GRA4472
    • PW: corner

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