Information Architecture

Brief

To design and build a website for a real or notional client which gives a clear indication of the content, structure, navigation and interface design of the final site.

Client Website

View my completed client website.

The Brief

The brief was to design and build a website for a client. The final website was required to demonstrate clear application of website design principles, information architecture and usability conventions.

Client

I chose to design a website for my friend's clothing company Smile Time Clothing. The company currently has two websites, BigCartel and MySpace.

Because they have two websites, the information is not kept together and it is difficult for the user to find what they are looking for. The client would like a website that shows product information with previews, and a contact page linking to their MySpace profile. The client would also like the design to be consistent throughout the site and to eventually use the graphics from the new site on their MySpace.

Research

For my research, I read the book Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug. Krug says to "Keep the noise down to a dull roar" and that "users have varying tolerances for complexity and distractions; some people have no problem with busy pages and background noise, but many do" (page 38). Taking into account what Krug has said, I shall make the site simple in design with minimal graphics and easy-to-read text to ensure that the user does not find the site overwhelming.

The Outcome

View my client website.

Evaluation

Did the project go to plan?
I am satisfied with the outcome of the client site as it is simple and easy to navigate around, and the user can find the information quickly and with ease with the one simple navigation bar which is situated just under the company logo/banner. Each page has only a small amount of content so that the user does not have to read many paragraphs of text to get the information that they need.

Can it be improved?
When I re-visit this site to improve it, I will add an FAQ page so that the user does not have to contact Smile Time with any simple questions that they may have about ordering t-shirts or navigating around the site.

Smile Time's site will eventually include a shopping cart so that their second site (BigCartel) will no longer be needed; this will bring all of the information together on one site so the user will not be confused or have to think about how to order the t-shirts.

I shall also carry out many usability tests to improve on the current navigation system and site layout.