:: Information Architects Drive Brands Too!

The word "brand" is naturally associated with concepts such as "look and feel," "graphic design," "logo," "images," and "copy." While it is true that Creative Directors and Brand Managers are the architects and guardians of business brands,Information Architects play a vital role in how digital brands are articulated to the end-user.

It all starts with customer research -
It is generally the Information Architect's responsibility to perform customer investigation to uncover insights that drive asset taxonomies and interaction design. However, the valuable time that IAs have with end-users can provide important insights to the Creative team in charge of defining digital brands, as well. Strict behavioral research often has IAs putting "blinders" on when attitudes and perceptions can also be collected and analyzed. Maximize time spent with end-users. Collect as much data as possible. Do NOT restrict data collection to behavioral data.

Influencing Short and Long-Term Brand Perceptions -
If the brand in question is mature then end-users probably have some preconceptions and feelings that influence their behavior related to the brand. Brand objectives range from reinforcing these perceptions to changing them. While visual design stimulates immediate and emotional responses that form perceptions, lasting brand impressions result from interaction and long-term satisfaction with brand experiences. If this is true, then IA plays a vital role in reducing end-user frustrations. Minimizing frustration often results in greater end-user brand loyalty and trust.


Interaction Design Creates and Influences Brand Perceptions -
As mentioned earlier, the user experience on web sites influences end-users' perceptions of business brands. Therefore, interaction design is the conduit for direct end-user interaction with a brand...and the criteria upon which the brand experience will be judged. Interaction design decisions made by Information Architects will drive these perceptions. It requires an in-depth understanding of what current brand perceptions are, related to a specific business brand, and how Brand Managers want the current brand perception to shift.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Social Networks and Our Need to Belong

As social networks compete for popularity amongst web users looking to do whatever, the question remains…what are users looking to do? Over the past three years we’ve seen MySpace and Facebook try out applications ranging from uploading music, videos, and photos to giving virtual gifts and becoming fans of celebrities…heck, you can even become a fan of a consumer product! So, what’s the point? Are we that bored?

While the draw to social networks for consumers is, at times, ambiguous, the value proposition for advertisers is obvious. Social networks are a gold mine of consumer eyeballs and personal, behavioral, and demographic data. The holy grail of 1-1 marketing based on behavior and direct communication with consumers is easily achieved on these platforms.

Again, I ask, why do we so readily give up our personal information?

I think the answer is rooted in the very nature of our species. We are a social animal. In fact, the need to belong to a group is magnified when others ASK us to belong to their groups. It is viral. Another reason we are drawn to these networks is our desire to recapture our past. Users are lured by the prospect of reconnecting with past friends, flings, and memories. It is low-impact interaction with the past and a way to relive the “good times.” The clear winner, therefore, will be the network that is best able to provide us that access.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Information Architects Like to Stereotype

My job is to conduct research on a relatively small sample of a target population and make design decisions based on observed behavioral trends. Thought leaders proclaim that I only need 4-8 representatives of a specific group, and then I can stop conducting research...but, is that enough?

In most cases, "8 is enough" when measuring trends in behavior. The idea is that any new trends observed after that are few and far between...and not worth charging the client for. But, if you want to measure attitudes, brand perceptions, and environmental factors, then larger, more traditional market research sample sizes may be necessary. Otherwise, your stereotype will not be representative of a random sample of the entire population.

The analogue of a stereotype in the world of Information Architecture is called the "persona." A persona is one profile that represents a group of people that behave a certain way, within a population. It is necessary to work from this "stereotype" because Information Architects cannot design for every individual that may stumble across the website. We must prioritize information, elements of design, and interface based on our clients' target audiences as well as the users that are "most likely" to visit the website.

Thus, our mission is to create the best generalizations and stereotypes that our limited exposure to a given population can produce.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Driving an Experience in a Non-Linear Medium

It is often suggested by Usability professionals that you cannot control who visits your website, and that you cannot force them to have an experience that they did not come to the website to have. It is true that, as a web designer, it is important to design an experience that anticipates and satisfies the informational needs and tasks of end-users, but that does not prevent you from also designing an experience that satisfies the objectives of the business.

Target an Audience that will be Receptive to Your Brand
You can increase the likelihood that a specific population of people visit your website. Doing so, requires a multi-channel marketing strategy that begins by identifying where your target audience spends most of their time. To find out, recruit and interview representative samples of this population. Piece together their daily routines and habits. Understand what TV programs they watch, periodicals they read, and websites they visit. These resources become possible platforms for smart website marketing and sponsorships. Use cross-channel marketing tactics to drive the right traffic to your website.

Create Website Pathways that Satisfy Business Objectives
The second suggestion by "user-advocates," claims that you cannot, and should not, control what end-users do on a website because of the non-linear nature of the web. The fallacy and danger of such statements lies in the premise that business objectives and user objectives are mutually exclusive. I propose that business objectives are generally met when end-user objectives are met. A healthy business is dependent on satisfied customers. Understanding what customers are coming to the website to do enables web designers to create pathways for customers to satisfy their needs. Prioritize navigational elements and elevate contextual links accordingly.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: "Quants and Quals"

Researchers have a variety of research techniques to choose from when achieving online objectives. Each technique includes a specific methodology, guidelines for population size, and techniques for soliciting feedback from participants.

Qualitative research calls for open-ended responses to questions with a limited sample size. Researchers use this technique when multiple-choice and close-ended questions don't yield data that is precise enough to achieve research goals. Qualitative research works well when objectives require 1st-hand observation of user behavior and contextual inquiry (live, 1-on-1 interviews in end-user environment).

Quantitative research solicits close-ended responses from end-users, such as on a multiple-choice survey, or requires observation of usage statistics, such as in an Omniture report, to understand and document data trends. Researchers use this technique when the quantity of the data is more important than the data detail, and the range of responses/observable phenomena are limited (a web analytics report merely documents trends of specific data points moving up or down; increasing or decreasing over time). Quantitative research generally results in studies that are deployed via survey, or by observing click-stream data via analytics reporting tools.

Depending on online business objectives, study types can also be combined. Quantitative studies can be used to support observed, qualitative research trends. Conversely, theories made to justify quantitative data trends may be proven or disproven during qualitative research interviews. It is most important to understand what problems you, as a researcher, are solving for, in order to select the right technique to yield the proper insights.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Converting user research participants into brand evangelists

User research has many benefits. Obviously, qualitative behavioral research is intended to yield insights to aid design of intuitive applications. However, many overlook the possible marketing applications of user research studies. Consider, your client is paying you to learn about the brand so that you can effectively market the brand. These two objectives do not have to be siloed. As long as research studies are unbiased, positive results can be turned into marketing opportunities for your client. Research provides opportunities and a platform to reach customers and potential customers. Here are three ways to maximize this reach to convert participants into "brand evangelists:"

1. Carefully screen and target research participants - In order to ensure reliable research studies, participants must be screened to be relevant to client business objectives and likely consumers of your client's business and services. If participants meet target demographics, and are particularly receptive to client brand messages, there is potential to convert these participants into customers. (Note: ethical boundaries should prohibit researchers from biasing or disguising a study as a marketing ploy...however, researchers often hear enthusiastic responses to the brand in conducted studies, and may pursue opportunities to market to participants after studies have concluded)

2. Create a "Beta Test" population for community applications - One effective means of observing user behavior is watching actual community interaction over time. When testing
and launching a "community" it is possible to use research dollars to recruit a "beta community." In essence, you are paying participant to "jump-start" a community (for observational study, at first). Community "uptake" generally starts "grassroots." If you create a compelling and intuitive suite of tools, and community makes sense for your client's brand and business, your beta test population (of carefully screened and targeted test participants) may help the community to succeed.

3. Always ask study participants about their impressions of the brand- It is important to observe how a participant's impressions of a client's brand change pre and post-exposure to the application being tested. A research study provides you, the researcher, a valuable audience to proposed ideas and expression of your client's brand. You must use this platform to inspire your participants to give thoughtful consideration of the brand. This act of "putting brand X into mind" may have the effect of shifting your participant's thinking and changing your participant's behavior "outside of the laboratory."

Jonathan Lupo
VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Interaction and Usability in Asia

Greetings from Asia! It is the 2008 Chinese New Year...the year of the rat. This year, my visit to Japan and Taiwan has allowed me to experience innovative, industrial design that focuses on usability and accessibility.

1. Audio feedback - As a musician, I was delighted to hear music being utilized as an indicator of various "environmental states." In Kyoto and Tokyo, a musical melody played when pedestrians had "the right of way," alerting the blind that it was safe to cross the street. A melody also played as a subway train paused to accept passengers, signaling the length of time before the train departed. In Taiwan, the garbage trucks played music similar to U.S. ice cream trucks, to alert residents to take out their trash. Audio cues in the form of vocal instruction are also ubiquitous in Asia. It seems as though every ATM, train ticket machine, elevator, and kiosk has a multi-lingual voice, to provide instruction the user.

2. Maps - On my flight to Asia, I was able to access an interactive map that showed the current location, distance to final destination, flight speed, altitude, as well as temperature. Japan's high-speed trains and subways were also equipped with maps that lit up current locations and stops along the way.

3. Tactile cues - The streets of Japan were literally lined with strips of bumps to enable blind pedestrians to walk safely, in the correct direction.

As an information architect, it was great to experience Asian industrial and urban design. It is evident that much thought and planning goes into how products and objects will be used by all types of people.

Jonathan Lupo
VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Wii vs. PS3 - Part 2 of the 2007 Holiday Blog Special

At the beginning of the 2007 winter holiday season, I had my mind set on acquiring a Nintendo Wii, the video game console with the revolutionary, motion-sensitive gameplay. I am an interaction designer who focuses on designing intuitive interfaces for interactive applications. That being said, the Wii seemed to be an appropriate, electronic accessory for me to own. As I stated in my earlier blog entry, I joined the masses in trying to track down my own Wii console. In fact, I became obsessed with the pursuit of this machine, and was willing to pay double its market value to own it.

Like so many others, I was unsuccessful in my efforts to purchase a Wii. I grew weary of the chase. Having grown up a believer in Sony technology (after all, the Sony Walkman was one of the most influential gadgets that I ever owned), I decided to purchase a Playstation 3.

The Playstation 3 targets a completely different audience than the Wii. The PS3 persona is the hardcore gamer, the technophile, the multimedia enthusiast, the early adopter, etc. The Wii targets "everyman"....and "everywoman." (That is, after all the secret to its mass market appeal) I happen to fit into both companies' behavioral target profiles. I like videogames, yes, but I certainly can't hang with the Halo 3, Worlds of Warcraft, Gears of War crowd. I am a novice, at best.

Was the PS3 the right decision for me? Absolutely. Here's why:

1. I love to watch movies - The PS3 has a Blu-Ray DVD player that also up-converts regular DVDs to better resolution (if you have a high-definition TV).

2. I love to listen to music - Like the Xbox 360, and the Wii, actually, you can set up a remote media server using Windows Media Player, Orb, or TVersity, and stream your media files directly to your console.

3. I enjoy eye-popping graphics - Like the Xbox 360, again, PS3 games usually have stunning graphics, suited for high-definition televisions.

4. I'm a "twitch" "arcade" gamer - Like most novice gamers, I gravitate to "button mashing" affairs that require the gamer to merely "hammer" one or two buttons in order to execute beautiful fighting moves, or blast away 3-D rendered asteroids.

5. I'm an ex-"goth" - Sony, thankfully, has no problem licensing games that can be dark, violent, and cinematic. I designed the initial user experience of FEARnet.com, the internet's premiere, online horor portal, and the PS3 has plenty of games that satisfy my craving for this type of entertainment.

My current, guilty pleasure, is a game called "Heavenly Sword." Heavenly Sword is a gorgeous, sword-fighting game that fills my plasma tv with stunning, high-definition beauty. It also requires the user to understand a few, basic, controls....and even utilizes the Playstation 3's "Sixaxis" motion controller...making those of us who didn't get a Wii feel a little better about our Playstation 3 purchase!


Jonathan Lupo
VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Three Ways to Gather End User Insights When Primary Research Isn't Possible

Web design is always better when informed by primary research. First-hand exposure to end-user behavior, visited websites, and target audience lifestyle always produce insightful "nuggets" that make for more meaningful, online experiences. That being said, anyone who has ever worked on a real-world web project will tell you that primary research is not always possible. Timelines and project budgets are often prohibitive. Clients are also, often convinced that they know all there is to know about their target audience.

What is an information architect supposed to do when he/she is not able to gain first-hand exposure to end-users?

Here are three ways to gather insights about a target audience when primary research is "out-of-the-question":

1. Google Keyword Tool - The folks at Google have a great keyword association tool that they offer for free, because they want advertisers to use their service to launch "pay-per-click" advertising campaigns. The Google Keyword Tool is also terrific for research purposes, however, because it enables users to enter a topic, keyword, or URL, and get back the most relevant and popular keyword queries related to the search term that was entered. Why is this information useful? Let's say you are designing a healthcare-related website about the general topic of "pregnancy." You'd probably like to know what type of information is most sought, related to the topic. That's exactly what you'd find if you entered the word "pregnancy," into Google's tool. Imagine developing a taxonomy that facilitates access to the most commonly searched for topics related to the topic of "pregnancy." You'd also be one-step closer to optimizing your website for likely Google searches related to the topic.

2. Internal Search Logs - Web analysts often overlook internal search (site search) logs, when performing site analytics. Often, the types of keyword searches entered on an existing website can give clues about difficulties that end-users are having locating information. Try looking at the top 100, internal, site searches for a typical 3-month period of time. Categorize the types of searches being performed in a spreadsheet. Once you can generalize about the most popular types of searches (e.g. - "contact," "product," "service," etc.), you will better be able to design a taxonomy and architecture that facilitates access to the things that users are looking for via site search.

3. Competitive Research - You don't always have to reinvent the wheel. Your client may be so focused on innovation or internal processes, that they forget to look over their shoulder at what the competition is doing. In any given industry, there are taxonomy and UI (user interface) patterns that emerge as a result of SOMEONE's research or through conventions established from years of offering a particular online service. It is ok to leverage these patterns as a starting point...it isn't cheating.

The above techniques can help you get started desiging an intuitive user interface when research isn't possible. I still recommend performing usability testing, however, to ensure that your "informed assumptions" hold true.


Jonathan Lupo
VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab