Pervasive Information Architecture: Designing Cross-Channel User Experiences [Paperback]

Andrea Resmini (Author), Luca Rosati (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2011 | ISBN-10: 0123820944 | ISBN-13: 978-0123820945 | Edition: 1

As physical and digital interactions intertwine, new challenges for digital product designers and developers, as well as, industrial designers and architects are materializing. While well versed in designing navigation, organization, and labelling of websites and software, professionals are faced the crucial challenge of how to apply these techniques to information systems that cross communication channels that link the digital world to the physical world.

Pervasive Information Architecture provides examples showing why and how one would:

• Model and shape information to adapt itself to users' needs, goals, and seeking strategies
• Reduce disorientation and increase legibility and way-finding in digital and physical spaces
• Alleviate the frustration associated with choosing from an ever-growing set of information, services, and goods
• Suggest relevant connections between pieces of information, services and goods to help users achieve their goals.

*Master agile information structures while meeting the unique user needs on such devices as smart phones, GPS systems, and tablets

*Find out the 'why' and 'how' of pervasive information architecture (IA) through detailed examples and real-world stories

*Learn about trade-offs that can be made and techniques for even the most unique design challenges

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is required reading for all information architects and user experience designers. It's a brilliant guide to the design of products and experiences that bridge multiple platforms and channels. The best book you'll find about the emerging practice of cross-channel user experience design."-- Peter Morville, foreword author and author of Ambient Findability and co-author of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web

"The rise of pervasive technology encourages information to roam free from the confines of the desktop into every aspect of our lives. To navigate this complex, cross-media environment, we need master architects. This book, from two of the field's foremost thinkers, is a shining landmark for this new world."-- Cennydd Bowles, author, Undercover User Experience Design 

"It has been a long time since I've been excited about an Information Architecture book. Andrea and Luca have done something truly innovative in bringing Information Architecture out of the design studio and into the streets. A lot of people talk about "pervasive" and "holistic" as ideals -- this book provides solid thought around cross-channel/multi-channel customer experience design. It effectively challenges the view that any one service delivery channel (such as web, or call center, or shopfront) can be considered in isolation. I will be actively recommending this book to colleagues and clients."-- Andrew Boyd, UX Community Lead, SMS Management and Technology (http://smsmt.com)

"Resmini and Rosati have delivered a landmark volume in the evolution of information architecture, communicating relatively esoteric insights about our changing info-landscape in a humane and personable manner. If your work involves shaping how people experience digital and data-informed products and services, then you need to read this book."-Christian Crumlish, co-author of Designing Social Interfaces

"This unique text offers an attractive, reader-friendly layout, demonstrating concepts creatively with thought-provoking color and b&w photos, illustrations, and images, many from art history. The volume is designed so that readers can jump from image to image and find the core ideas of the chapter. Sidebars of key ideas also increase the book's browsability. Employing a multidisciplinary approach to information architecture and the design of the new pervasive information spaces, the book draws on insights in diverse disciplines from cognitive psychology to cinema. Each chapter begins with a short story and concludes with case studies and a list of articles, books, movies, and videos. Part 1 surveys information architecture as both a field of practice and a research discipline. Part 2 illustrates five design principles, and Part 3 shows how to apply these principles with a real-life case study. Parts 2 and 3 include boxed contributions from international authors, researchers, and practitioners. Readers can access a companion web site and a blog."--Reference and Research Book News

From the Back Cover

As physical and digital interactions intertwine, new challenges for digital product designers and developers - as well as industrial designers and architects - are materializing. While well versed in designing navigation, organization, and labelling of websites and software, professionals are faced with the crucial challenge of applying these techniques to information systems that link the digital world to the physical world.

Pervasive Information Architecture provides examples showing why and how one would:

*Model and shape information to adapt itself to users' needs, goals, and seeking strategies

*Reduce disorientation and increase legibility and way-finding in digital and physical spaces

*Alleviate the frustration associated with choosing from an ever-growing set of information, services, and goods

*Suggest relevant connections between pieces of information, services and goods to help users achieve their goals.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 1 edition (April 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0123820944
• ISBN-13: 978-0123820945
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Human-Computer Interaction
  • #69 in Books > Computers & Technology > Hardware > Design & Architecture
  • #93 in Books > Computers & Technology > Web Development & Design > User Experience & Usability

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great thesis, unbearably verbose May 14, 2011

By constantinescouncil

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

First, the thesis of pervasive information architecture reflecting the manner in which information is accessed and interacted with in current technologically and marketing driven global society is profound and insightful. The authors really dig deep into the philosophical, sociological and psychological underpinnings of their thesis, and do so with varied and authoritative references. A definite contribution to the conversation.

Second, however, they are incredibly verbose in communicating their thesis. So much so that of the 230 pages of text, 150 or so could be cut and the reader would still be able to walk away with as much insight as they would reading the entire text. References to authorities of various disciplines, and supporting logic of their claims are supplemented with very lengthy illustrations and case studies that are whimsical and entertaining to family and friends, but for those who are busy and looking to grasp the future of IA are (at least to this reader) annoying and frustrating. Ironically, the bulk of the text makes "wayfinding" (read 'thesis-finding') in this text as frustrating an inverted Cambridge map. Sadly, the way in which the text is written one must scan the entire text to retrieve the nuggets of truly relevant material. If the writers/editors/publisher had inserted chapter summaries or the like that highlighted the main points with brief explanations, that would increase the ROI of this text greatly. They do include bullet points at the end of each chapter, but those are so brief and superficial as to not reflect the truly valuable information the authors presented interlaced amongst the exhausting verbiage....

Nevertheless, their thesis is sound, their cross-disciplinary references valuable and valid, and the core messages of the text are wonderful. Cut the fluff and this would be a fantastic read! I would give 5 stars for value of insight, 1 for lack of quality editorial redaction. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Golden Gate to the IA realm August 26, 2011

By Raul

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I found this book really good.
Eventhough I agree with previous comment in terms of length of verbiage, I felt this book provided an invaluable insight in lots of different aspects of information architecture.

My background is not on web design or development, but I've come to this field based on the goal of increasing value of users, by enabling platforms in order to easier people to find what they're looking for and increse efficiency. This book cover such a wide topic in a very interesting and profund way. The books is mainly structured like this:

Chapter 1. From Multichannel to Cross-channel
Chapter 2. Toward a Pervasive Information Architecture
Chapter 3. Heuristics for a Pervasive Information Architecture
Chapter 4. Place-making
Chapter 5. Consistency
Chapter 6. Resilience
Chapter 7. Reduction
Chapter 8. Correlation
Chapter 9. Designing Cross-channel User Experiences

Authors take you to history, cases, and reference other books in such a way, that really get you inmersed on the topic. I started from this book, and the extense amount of sources has lead me to start digging more and more into those sources (now, I'm getting familiar with more authors, books, research that I could imagine when I started the book).

It's true that for today business world sometimes you just want to get to the meat, but the substantiation provided for the authors has been an important part to me in order to get a more complete view and better understanding.

It's true at the beggining the book seemed to me somewhat though in terms of pure content and reference, but being so interested at the same time kept me going....

Also, the kindle version with the Text-To-Speach, helps a lot (Thanks Amazon, the kindle reads the book aloud to me, while I'm driving, and I check and revise again on the kindle for PC version) ...
Last but not least, interestingly enough, the Kindle version, with it's black&white approach did not communicate fully the pictures and images on the book (many of them with colored references for the topics covered)

Above all ups and downs, in terms of redaction and verbiage, the book as played a role of Gate into the IA realm and has invited me to search for more. To me, that's enough for a 5. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, inspiring book. Plenty of ideas. October 31, 2012

By S. Manzoli

Format:Paperback

I agree with previous readers that this book provides great content.

As per the form, I didn't find it verbose at all. Instead. It's a beautiful read, that never gets too technical. The authors tell a different story at every chapter, divert from linear path of argumentation, borrow from literature, music, philosophy, anthropology. That's true. But this gets the whole thing only better.
Reasons:
1. They trigger readers' curiosity
2. They help keeping an open mind - IA is not only technical stuff after all. It needs cross-fertilization. The whole book is overflown with ideas and the reader gets overflown too.
3. Examples, stories, case studies help memorization.
4. The book makes you enthusiastic about the topic. Literally. You stop reading and you start thinking - like when you get out of the cinema and start puzzling about the movie you've just seen.

How pervasive it is, the book itself indeed.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great deal! March 1, 2013

By Mariana Cantisani

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received the item before the date, in perfect conditions, it was a great deal!
I had the ebook, but really needed the print edition, it is awesome this readign about Pervasive Information Architecture, the only bibliography ever published about this topic! Thanks Resmini and Rosati for all your effort to bring this high quality information and thanks again for sharing your knowledge!

Thanks!
Mariana Cantisani Padua