You left your structure on your plate…Eat up! (#8)

       

Besides the cosmic amount of varying creative individuals out there, I have always been boggled by the lack of inconsistency throughout the web. Unbeknownst to most surfers, there is a call to action going on to unite the web into a highly functional and user friendly environment. While hopping from site to site, and depending on the genre, you may stumble upon several types of structure. Most web sites completely ignore standards and conventions while others try desperately to abide. So where do we start to draw the line? How do we define where information goes and how it is perceived on the other end? Why do these protocols exist? Better yet, does anyone know the meaning of existence anyway? (Never mind that last one… I figured I could drop that in there.) The short answer is structure.

We need it to process information correctly, not to mention point out the obvious. Okay, so maybe things aren’t always obvious; that is why there are standards and conventions. These methods of structure exist to serve the immeasurable audience it conducts. Without it, the web would be a rompus room for extremely right brained creative’s’. We all know they can’t run loose or you can kiss your structure goodbye.  

Truthfully, since the introduction of the web, designers have been on a permanent free for all. This has caused a lot of confusion. The amounts of web sites in business today don’t follow standards. Some incorporate a few while others ignore them all together. There is big controversy over the best approach. Being the web, many feel that it is our artistic right to design freely. But something has to be said for cavity causing eye candy and poor navigation. Sites that have amazing visuals tend to lack in the functionality area. I propose a fusion of these two theories.

Granted, visual aesthetics and standards are on opposite ends of the spectrum, they share a common bond; creativity. In order to produce an eye catching functional site, the individuals driving it need to have a keen sense of both methods. If we can merge both methodologies, the web will become a union of best practices. Considering both demands an extreme amount of creative energy and organization, this could be the marriage to save the state of the union.

(VOTE GAY MARRIAGE…oops wrong paper)

Anyways, the individuals responsible for infiltrating this phenomenon are Information Architects. They are responsible for ensuring “the structural design of shared information environments” in addition to “the art and science of organizing and labeling Web sites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability” (Unknown, Hoffman, p.1).

 I couldn’t have said it better myself… no really I couldn’t, hence the quote.

Currently, defending the purpose of having an Information Architect on your squad is highly debatable. Like any new job description, people tend to push back at what they don’t understand. Let’s be honest, most of us still don’t know what “WWW” stands for. Quite frankly, it’s sad that the internet has become its own bandwagon. If you can’t ride, don’t get on and if you can, be prepared to be thrown off. The web is constantly changing with emerging new technology and social platforms that even for a veteran, keeping up can be deteriorating.

The web is designed to connect a variety of characters, like-minded or otherwise, into a massive neighborhood set in virtual reality that fits neatly underneath a slab of wood with four legs. It is quite impressive yet still has a tendency to keep others out. Not everyone can afford a computer, even though they are relatively cheaper now, let alone the internet. In some ways, it can limit itself even though it is perceived as being limitless.

None the less, Information Architects are diving into the mess that has been made. They are on a mission of restructure and findability making the web a fun and safe place to visit for anyone.  Thank the almighty being of creation, whoever or whatever that may be, for bestowing upon us this precious gift of Information Architects. With the help of this new field, structuring the web will be possible.

For now, we have to hope companies start to realize the importance of untangling this web we weave. We need to build it back up properly and expand our horizons. For tomorrow will be hard to find if they forget the site map.

Citations:

Hoffman, Allan Information Architects: Web Builders with a Sales Bent (2006)

~ by dreamsndigital on October 31, 2006.