Content Inventory
A Content Inventory is:
"...a list of all the content on your site. Your inventory will typically include text, images, documents, and applications. To gain insight from your inventory, you will need to assess each piece of content. Doing so will help you understand what is on the site, if it is located properly, and whether content is up-to-date."
"Content Inventory". From http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/content-inventory.html
Related Links
- "How to Conduct A Content Audit"A how-to on how to perform a content inventory and audit from uxmastery.com
- "Doing a Content Inventory (Or, A Mind-Numbingly Detailed Odyssey Through Your Web Site)"An article by Jeffery Veen providing a method and template for performing a thorough content analysis of a website.
Sample Content Inventory utilizing MS Excel
Prototyping
A Prototype is:
"...a lightweight initial design of an interface or product, used to capture initial concepts and layouts to gather feedback from users, as well as stakeholders. Prototyping can occur at a number of points inthe design process, at varying levels of 'fidelity'-from the simplest sketches to the most detailed renderings nearly at the level of what a final interface would look like."
"Prototyping Methods". From http://www.usabilitybok.org/prototyping-methods
Related Links
- "Tips on Prototyping for Usability Testing"Some pointers on using Prototypes in usability testing from uxmatters.com
- Prototyping on usability.govGreat description and guide to prototyping, including a breakdown of the various kinds of prototypes as well as compare/contrast to wireframes/blueprints.
Prototyping Cycle
Wireframe Flow Chart
Wireframes/Blueprints
Wireframes are:
"...[the depiction of] how an individual page or template should look from an architectural perspective."
Morville, P. and Rosefeld, L. (2007). Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. Sebastabol, CA: O'Reilly.
"A highly simplified sketch ofthe important information in a page. Also know as page architecture or page schematic."
"Wireframe". From http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/glossary/wireframe.html
Blueprints:
"...show the relationships between pages and other content compoents, and can be used to portray organization, navigation, and labeling systems."
Morville, P. and Rosefeld, L. (2007). Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. Sebastabol, CA: O'Reilly
Related Links
- Wireframing-usability.govMethods page on wireframing from usability.gov
- A Beginner's Guide to WireframingWireframing tutorial.
Site Maps
Definitions of a site map:
"...presents the top few levels of the information hierarchy [of a website]. It provides a broad view of the content in the website and facilitates random access to segmented portions of the content. A sitemap can employ graphical or text-based links to provide the user with direct access to pages of the site."
Morville, P. and Rosefeld, L. (2007). Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. Sebastabol, CA: O'Reilly.
"A clickable, graphic, or text-based display of a website's hierachy."
"Site Map". From http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/glossary/site-map.html
Related Links
- "UX 101: The Site Map"A great summary of the use of sitemaps in the context of UX from the user-centered design firm viget.com.
- "Sitemaps-The Beginner's Guide"Another great introduction to the use of sitemaps, from uxreview.co.uk
