Itinerary – Week 3

Today, we are going to:

1. Review the homework and take a pop quiz
2. Learn about Information Architecture deliverables
3. Learn how Information Architecture fits into the design process
4. Conduct an in-class exercise involving user research and competitive analysis
   • Find an available computer lab and research up to 5 local restaurant competitors (each must have a Web site) in walking distance of the Art Institute.
   • Learn who uses their Web site by visiting the restaurants, pick up a marketing materials (menu, business cards, etc.), and take notes (employee/patron interviews, people/atmosphere observations, etc.).
   • Return to class to discuss findings and establish project plan.

Homework – Week 2

Read the following chapters in the textbook:

• Chapter 3 – Balancing Acts – Users, Technology, and Business
• Chapter 4 – Those People

Conduct a competitive S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of one of the following groups of competitors and post a reply* to this blog entry summarizing your findings:

• Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of two book stores, such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com
• Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of two movie rental stores, such as Blockbuster and Netflix.com
• Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the following Web sites: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta and http://www.scad.edu

*Reply should be at least 250 words. Please include hyperlinks to online references and screenshots if applicable. Post should be timestamped no later than to 6pm on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.

Homework – Week 1

This following 3 assignments are due next class, July 22, 2008

Buy the following book:

• “Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web” (2002) by Christina Wodtke

Read the following chapters in the textbook:

• Introduction – Why Blueprint a Website?
• Chapter 1 – Gurus and Rules
• Chapter 2 – First Principles

Read the following article:

• “A Brief History of Information Architecture” by Semantic Studios (download the PDF on the right)

Conduct a competitive analysis of one of the following groups of competitors and post a reply* to this blog entry summarizing your findings:

• Compare Barnes & Noble (physical store), a public library, and Amazon.com in relation to how they organize books
• Compare a Walmart/Target (physical store), Blockbuster, and Netflix.com in relation to how they organize movies
• Compare http://www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta to http://www.scad.edu in relation to how they organize programs

*Reply should be 1000 words. Please include hyperlinks to online references and screenshots if applicable. Post should be timestamped no later than to 6pm on Tuesday, July 22, 2008.

Itinerary – Week 1

Salutations and welcome to IMD200 Information Architecture!

This blog is the course Web site and living syllabus during the Summer 2008 quarter. You will find course information, schedule changes, and file downloads here. Please email any questions to me, Chris Quinn, at chris@chrisquinn.com.

Today, we are going to:

1. Define information architecture
2. Research job descriptions and salary surveys
3. Conduct in-class exercises
4. Review the syllabus and homework
5. Discuss potential field trips