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Blog2019-05-14T16:16:11-07:00

9 Reasons Why Card Sorting is Useful for Engagement

Card sorting, or the activity of putting a bunch of terms in front of users and getting them to sort them into groups, has long been a favourite information architecture activity. As a practitioner, I've had more or less success with it over the years. Recently, it's become a tool in the arsenal for stakeholder and employee engagement.

What Are Metadata and Content Types?

Metadata are the workhorses of a content management system. Simply put, metadata tell your CMS platform what your content is about and let you do things with your content.

3 Ways to Use Search Terms In Your Content Audit

Using search terms as part of a content audit can give insight into the structure of your site. You can analyze these search terms to inform your taxonomy and future content efforts, and to evaluate the findability of content on your site.

What is Structural Content Strategy?

Structural content strategy supports content goals through the appropriate use of structure to improve the user and authoring experience, and to support business goals.

Information Architecture to Content Strategy

More and more of my work has moved from straightforward information architecture and taxonomy work and more into the "why" behind information architecture and taxonomy. For me, the answer to this "why" became content strategy.

Support Dynamic Content Display with Structure and Taxonomy

One thing that's been around for a while but is rarely taken advantage of but can be liberating. When we explain the concept to clients, they typically respond with, "Yes, that's what we need. That's what we've been waiting for. Where have you been all my life? You had me at hello!!"

What Is Information Architecture?

Common website usability problems are symptoms and signs of poor information architecture. Information architecture (IA) aims to connect users with the content that they are looking for, in a seamless and intuitive manner.

How To Improve Website Search

When looking to improve the searchability on your website or intranet or in your CMS or DAM, there are a few areas where you can look to solve searchability problems. This second part in a two-part series focuses on solving searchability problems.

Combining Multiple Taxonomies

Combining multiple taxonomies can be a contentious issue: each taxonomy belongs to a team who has put a lot of thought into their taxonomy and may not easily let go of certain terms or features. However, sometimes taxonomies do need to be combined, and here are some tips on how to go through the process.

Selling a Website Taxonomy to Your Organization

While you recognize that your company needs a website taxonomy or intranet taxonomy, you may not be sure how to convince management to provide resources to create, implement, and maintain a taxonomy. Here are some tips.

Actionable Steps to Improve Your Taxonomy

If you’re working on a taxonomy that doesn’t have the resources (right now) to do a lot of research and engagement with subject matter experts, there are still some actionable steps you can take to improve your taxonomy.

Guiding Others Through Building a Website Taxonomy

After going through numerous taxonomy projects, I've learned a few things about how to work with stakeholders and subject matter experts to build a website taxonomy. Here is a presentation with a few tips for making the taxonomy development process smoother.

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