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User-Centered Design

General resources

• Boxes and Arrows — Web site devoted to the discussion and practice of design (graphic design, interaction design, information architecture and the design of business)
• Information Architecture Institute —Information architecture resources
• Usability.gov — Guide to building and testing usable and useful Web sites
• The Elements of User Experience (PDF) by Jesse James Garrett — A visual depiction of the user-centered design process
• User Interface Engineering's Brain Sparks Blog
• Alertbox — Jakob Nielsen's Column on Web Usability
• Adaptive Path

Recommended Books on Information Architecture

• Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web
  by Christina Wodtke
• Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
  by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville

Methods, Techniques and Templates
While there are many methods available to help Web teams construct a user-centered site architecture for their Web site, teams should feel free to select the options that best fit the project scope and time allotted.

• The Information Architecture Institute's Tool Library — includes templates for task analysis grids, site maps, flow maps, wireframes, design checksheets, project briefs and more.
• The KJ-Technique: A Group Process for Establishing Priorities
• Three Important Benefits of Personas

Content Inventories

• Taking a Content Inventory — Janice Crotty Fraser, New Architect
• Doing a Content Inventory (Or, A Mind-Numbingly Detailed Odyssey Through Your Web site) — Jeffrey Veen, Adaptive Path
  • Download Jeff's content inventory template (Excel)

Card Sorting and Category Agreement Analysis

• Card Sorting: A Definitive Guide — Donna Maurer and Todd Warfel
• Category agreement analysis — User Interface Engineering

Site Maps, Wireframes and Prototypes

• Visual vocabulary for describing information architecture — How to use shapes to create effective site maps, blueprints and diagrams
• Wireframes in UI
• Using paper prototypes to manage risk

Usability Testing

• Six Steps to Ensure a Successful Usability Test
• Testing the Three-Click Rule

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