| It’s hard to recall, now, the world that greeted the fi rst edition of this book upon its publication seven years ago. The world has changed, of course, but perhaps more signifi cantly, information architecture itself, and its place within that world, has changed even more.
At that time, some pronounced information architecture a fad, an artifact of the infl ated expectations (not to mention job titles and salaries) of the late-’90s dot-com boom. And just as that boom had recently gone bust, some expected the fi eld of information architecture to go bust right along with it.
But then something happened that took some people by surprise: As the bubble burst and the prospects of Web startups defl ated, information architecture actually became more important than ever. To stay alive in an increasingly hostile competitive environment, Web sites looked for ways to deliver better experiences and become more useful and usable to their users.
They didn’t need more sophisticated technology or fl ashier graphics. They needed better blueprints. And they turned to information architects to create them.
Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web, Second Edition introduces the core concepts of information architecture: organizing web site content so that it can be found, designing website interaction so that it's pleasant to use, and creating an interface that is easy to understand. This book helps designers, project managers, programmers, and other information architecture practitioners avoid costly mistakes by teaching the skills of information architecture swiftly and clearly. |
