Genre's and Information Architecture

Information Architecture from a slightly different perspective:
"Chunkings information" into genre's.
Jude Cook (2005)


1. Content Genres - The Hidden Workhorse of Information Architecture
Summary of article by Peter Merholz from Adaptive Path

Unlike other information science fields that are oriented toward retrieval, findability, and research, information architecture is keenly responsive to use. What do people *do* with information once they have it? How do the tasks they bring to their information usage affect their strategies, expectations, and appreciation of their information interaction?
Not explicitly called out in any information architecture text, but essential to successful practice, are content genres. Genres go beyond typical classifications of document types, to get at how content is developed to satisfy particular purposes, and how its form both guides access as well as sets expectation for use.
In the real world, we use genres all the time. For example if you are visiting a new city you use the content genre of a guidebook to learn the basics of a place. You use the genre of a map to orient yourself and understand where things are. (You might also use subgenres, like a bus map, or a map of popular sites).
You approach each of these with a purpose in mind, and an assumption that these genres can satisfy that purpose. The form of these genres helps us identify them and sets expectation for use. Guidebooks look and work different than maps which look and work differently than newspapers. When we want to know what movie is playing, we would never even approach a map -- it's appearance tells us that it's not for that purpose. On the web, however, there are far fewer cognitive cues to distinguish between genres. Everything kind of looks the same -- a page in a browser. So what do we do?


2. Information Architecture for Content Management
by Ann Rockley from The Rockley Group, Inc.

Information architecture for content management is a key component of a successful content management strategy. Information architecture formalizes the structure of your content and helps you determine rules for identifying, managing, retrieving, and delivering your content. Information architecture for content management includes content modeling, metadata, content management business rules, repository structure, and workflow.

Source: http://www.iasummit.org/2005/conferencedescrip.htm#92