[IxDA Discuss] Information Architecture or Interaction Design

[Alok Jain]

I think we can imagine these as two circle which overlap.
Information Architecture in my view deals with:
1. Defining What information is relevant and must be a part of
solution (Content Strategy)
2. Making sense of this information (Meta data etc)
3. Organizing Information so it makes sense to users (Navigation etc.)
4. Vocabulary - What language should this e shared with users

Interaction Design in my view is about:
Defining how users will access the information - for e.g. should it be
a tabbed navigation, v/s left navigation, or flyout menus etc..
Similarly how they would conduct a transaction - so for e.g. we want
to allow users to print a word document, Interaction Design would
focus define should it be an icon or right click menu or File Print or
Ctrl+P etc.. or all of these.

Now one impacts the other.. if right click menu is being defined as
interaction mechanism, what kind of menu items should these e.. and
from perspectives IA and IxD would have a view on the same.  One can
also argue that category labels define the nature of interaction one
would have with the system.. or the kind of interaction one wants
impacts how information should be organized.. So circles overlap..

Cheers
Alok
http://www.iPrincipia.com




>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
> [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
> Antoinette Monthon
> Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 4:59 AM
> To: ixda list
> Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Information Architecture or Interaction Design
>
> What's the different between Information Architecture and Interaction
> Design?
>
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-- 
Best Regards
Alok Jain
----------------------------------------------------------
User Experience Management Solutions
Satyam Computer Services Ltd. - Washington DC