A Quick Summary of Usability Pitfalls

Today I searched for some liturature on Information Architecture tips and techniques. I will often do this in a project, but not for the purpose of following the suggested rules and guidelines. Instead, the rules and guidelines often plant seeds of information into my thoughts about the project. I'll often come up with new directions for the problem, and new epiphanies (sometimes totally unrelated to the reading.)

In my search I stumbled across the article, Design Usability Seven Pitfalls to Avoid in Information Architecture, By Louis Rosenfeld. He explains 7 problems he sees in web design by information architects. I boiled down his points as they apply to my Soccer Deconstruction project.


1) User-Centered Design
Don't swing two far in anyone direction. Make it easy, but balance usability it with content (appropriate and quality information) and context (the task at hand).

2) Too Many Paths to Information
Sure, lots of information paths are out there... but don't use all of them. Two many paths = no path at all. "20 percent of all possible navigational approaches will likely satisfy 80 percent of users’ navigational needs."

3) Too Much Information
Too much info mean less understanding and information obsorbtion. Choose the appropriate info, not all the information.
"sophisticated [info architects] spend more time trying to get rid of content than adding it."

4) Neglecting Evolution
"All of your efforts will be completely wasted if the architecture won’t scale and evolve over time."

5) Measuring Performance
Test, test, test, test the design.

6) Forgetting the Fundamentals
"Your job is not to design a site hierarchy. Or a site map. Or a search system. Your job is to help users find what they need, regardless of how it’s done."

7) The Illusion of Rules
"There simply are no absolutes in information architecture, because there are so many variables...Trust no gurus. Seek guidelines that help shape your creativity instead of rules that constrain it."

Personal thoughts about the article. I was shocked to learn that many information architects focus entirely too much on the user. I'm confident that I do not fall into that category, because I am searching for a balance in useability, information content and information as a tool for the desired task. I was not surprised however, to see a strong emphasis on user testing. This allows you to see if you have in fact found a balance between the user, content and context.

Probably the most intriguing of all the "pitfalls" was the understanding of EVOLUTION. This word sparked many fantastic ideas to consider and explore....but more on that later.