Elements of UX - C5

Structure Plane in User Experience Design

• The structure plane is where site elements are organized to fit together, turning abstract ideas into concrete plans.
• Decisions made in this phase are largely conceptual, but crucial for the overall user experience.

Interaction Design in Structure Plane

• Interaction design involves creating conceptual models that influence the system's behavior and user interface.
• A conceptual model in interaction design is the user's mental model of how a system works, and it influences the design and language used in the interface.
• Examples of conceptual models include:
  • E-commerce shopping carts using the physical container metaphor, with functions and phrases like "add to cart," "remove from cart," and "check out."
  • Desktop metaphor in operating systems.
  • Digital libraries and virtual assistants as people.

Information Architecture in Structure Plane

• Information architecture involves arranging content elements to facilitate human understanding.
• This includes:
  • Creating categorization schemes using top-down or bottom-up approaches.
  • Balancing both approaches for optimal results.
  • Organizing categories into structures like hierarchical, matrix, organic, and sequential.
  • Choosing appropriate organizing principles for different levels of the architecture.

Key Considerations for Structure

• Consistency is crucial in conceptual models and information architecture.
• Developing consistent language and metadata through controlled vocabularies and thesauri is essential.
• Thesauri document preferred terms, synonyms, and relationships between terms.
• Metadata provides flexibility in structuring and finding content.
• Clear documentation of structure is necessary, using tools like diagrams, text outlines, spreadsheets, and databases.

Roles and Responsibilities in Structure Plane

• Responsibility for structure often falls to content development, editorial, marketing, or technical staff.
• Having a dedicated user experience designer (or information architect/interaction designer) can be beneficial for ongoing development work.
• Regardless of the team structure, someone must address structural concerns to ensure a well-organized and effective site.