Press Release
September 5, 2002
Information Architecture More Important Then Ever: New Edition of the Classic "Information Architecture for the World Wide Web" Released
Sebastopol, CA--Today's web sites have moved far beyond
"brochureware." They are larger and more complex, while their users are
busier and less forgiving. Designers, information architects, and web
site managers are required to juggle vast amounts of information,
frequent changes, new technologies, and sometimes even multiple
objectives, making some web sites look like a fast-growing but poorly
planned city--roads everywhere, but impossible to navigate.
Well-planned information architecture has never been as essential as it
is now.
The new second edition of Information Architecture for the World Wide
Web (O'Reilly, $39.95) shows how to blend aesthetics and mechanics for
distinctive, cohesive web sites that work. Most books on web
development concentrate on either the graphics or the technical issues
of a site. This book focuses on the framework that holds the two
together.
"We're convinced that everyone--novice and wizard alike--needs to
invest considerable time and energy in their web site's information
architecture, especially if their goal is to build a large, complex web
site or intranet," says coauthor Lou Rosenfeld. "The reality is most
novice site developers are so blinded by the Web's exciting technical
and graphical possibilities that they don't immediately key in on the
intangible value of information architecture."
Rosenfeld and his coauthor, Peter Morville, are convinced that
information architecture is as fundamental (if not more so) to web
design as color or layout. "Jakob Nielsen has done a wonderful job
popularizing the notion of 'usability.' Most business managers who have
anything to do with their corporate web site or intranet now understand
that poor usability hurts the bottom line," explains Morville. "Over
the next several years, these same business managers will come to
understand that usability depends on 'findability.' In short, if you
can't find it, you can't use it. More and more studies are showing that
the number one problem of most web sites is that people can't find what
they need. Good information architecture design is essential to
findability."
By applying the principles outlined in this completely updated classic,
the reader will build web sites and intranets that are easier to
navigate and appealing to users, as well as scalable and simple to
maintain.
"Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 2nd Edition" explains
how to:
Develop a strong, cohesive vision for your site that makes it both
distinctive and usable. Organize your site's hierarchy in ways that are meaningful to its
users and that minimize the need to reengineer the site. Create navigation systems so that users can move through the site
without getting lost and frustrated. Label your site's content in the language of the users. Organize your site in a way that supports both searching for specific
items and casual browsing. Configure search systems so that users' queries actually retrieve
meaningful results. Manage the process of developing information architecture, from
selling the concept to research and conceptual design to planning and
production.
"Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 2nd Edition" is
crammed with ideas and practical advice for anyone involved in building
or maintaining a large, complex web site or intranet.
What the critics said:
"It's been well worth the wait! This much expanded second edition
provides a holistic perspective on information architecture...I highly
recommend it to anyone who wants to make their ideas become real, and
more importantly, of value to the end user community."
--Mary Lee Kennedy, Microsoft (about this edition)
"In a world crowded with books on designing cool web sites, finally
someone has written a book that simply--and clearly--explains how to
build a web site that people can find information in. What a
concept...I couldn't put it down. Perhaps it's because my job entails
running a number of web sites, but the dozens of facts, war stories,
and user studies related in this book really struck home. By the time I
got off the plane, I had folded down the corners of half a dozen pages,
had a list of redesign ideas, and had even come up with a product idea
or two. That's the kind of book this is...like so many of O'Reilly's
others, this is destined to be an instant classic...If you run a web
site of any size over two dozen pages, you will definitely be happy
that you bought this book! And get a copy for your boss too."
--David Fiedler, webdeveloper.com (about the first edition)
"This book is one of the only resources that brings the eclectic ideas
of web site information architecture together. Rosenfeld and Morville
bring to light some theoretically powerful material regarding the
planning, design, testing, and maintenance of large scale web
sites...The book is certain to be an eye opener for many web site
developers."
--John S. Rhodes, Dr. Dobbs Electronic Review of Computer
Books (about the first edition)
"What's big and throbbing? Your headache. It's caused by the
uncontrollable flood of web pages that you have to deal with, day after
day. The pain you feel is the result of a web site that lacks structure
and is getting more and more out of control. You want relief? The 2nd
Edition of 'Information Architecture for the World Wide Web' is the
cure."
--John S. Rhodes, WebWord.com--Industrial Strength Usability
(about this edition)
"The world will be a better place when web designers read this book.
It's smart, funny, and artfully distills years of the authors' hard-won
experience. 'Information Architecture' is unlike any other book on web
design I know...Light years ahead of the competition."
--Bonnie Nardi, coauthor of "Information Ecologies: Using Technology
with Heart", MIT Press, 1999 (about this edition)
"An important and useful book."
--Tom McClaren, Software Developer (about the first edition)
"Rosenfeld and Morville get it right. They show how to design
manageable sites right the first time, sites built for growth."
--Thom Gillespie, "Library Journal" (about the first edition)
For more reviews of the first edition, see
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/infotecture/reviews.html.
Additional Resources:
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 2nd Edition
Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
By Peter Morville, Louis Rosenfeld
0-596-00035-9, Order Number: 0359
486 pages, $39.95 US, $61.95 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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