Social Information Architecture
Encyclopedia
Social information architecture is a sub-domain of information architecture
which deals with the social aspects of conceptualizing, modeling and organizing information. Social Information Architecture, also known as Social iA has become more relevant because of the rise of Social Media
and Web 2.0
in recent times.
Still, physical spaces can be flexibly repurposed and worked around if the inhabitants desire a social dynamic not instantly afforded by the space. Office doors can be left open to invite easier interaction. Partitions can be raised between adjacent desks to limit distraction and increase privacy.
That’s physical architecture. The information architectures of online communities are far more deterministic and far less flexible. They literally define the social architecture by pre-specifying in immutable computer code what information you have access to, who you can talk to, where you can go. In the online world, information architecture = social architecture.
, strategic placement of virals, social media presence etc.
Charities, news outlets and social dialogue forums can make a much more specific use of the same tools for positive and important social purposes. Social Information Architecture is perceived as the socially conscious wing of commercial information architecture and function to exchange information and ideas between people and groups.
Social iA can pick up on conflicting issues that are treated with misunderstanding between cultures and leaves individuals and societies vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation. Since the net has such a far reach it is obvious to use it for meaningful and coordinated social dialogue.
Example of such issues are faith, environment, politics, climate change, war, injustice and other social challenges. Information architecture can help create frameworks in which sharing information brings people together, inspires and encourages them to participate in a forward thinking and unfragmented way. One of its core activities is to spread messages that bring people from opposite sites of social and cultural spectrums together and to confront uncomfortable subject head on.
queries and engages with the net actively to gather clues about the world’s pulse on the internet. It assesses data, social & political trends, and respond with targeted campaigns to give people ideas, as well as help people with making sense of information.
1. The principle of objects: Treat content as a living, breathing thing,
with a lifecycle, behaviors and attributes.
2. The principle of choices: Create pages that offer meaningful choices to users, keeping the range of choices available focused on a particular task.
3. The principle of disclosure: Show only enough information to help
people understand what kinds of information they’ll find as they dig
deeper.
4. The principle of exemplars: Describe the contents of categories by
showing examples of the contents.
5. The principle of front doors: Assume at least half of the website’s
visitors will come through some page other than the home page.
6. The principle of multiple classification: Offer users several different classification schemes to browse the site’s content.
7. The principle of focused navigation: Don’t mix apples and oranges
in your navigation scheme.
8. The principle of growth: Assume the content you have today is a
small fraction of the content you will have tomorrow.
Information Architecture
Information architecture is the art of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems. Among these activities are library systems, Content Management Systems, web development, user interactions, database development, programming,...
which deals with the social aspects of conceptualizing, modeling and organizing information. Social Information Architecture, also known as Social iA has become more relevant because of the rise of Social Media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
and Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
in recent times.
A) The architecture model (internal space)
Architects designing a physical community space, have to consider how the architecture will shape social interactions. A long hallway of offices creates an utterly different dynamic than desks with arranged in an open space. One might foster individuality, privacy, propriety; the other: collaboration, distraction, communalism.Still, physical spaces can be flexibly repurposed and worked around if the inhabitants desire a social dynamic not instantly afforded by the space. Office doors can be left open to invite easier interaction. Partitions can be raised between adjacent desks to limit distraction and increase privacy.
That’s physical architecture. The information architectures of online communities are far more deterministic and far less flexible. They literally define the social architecture by pre-specifying in immutable computer code what information you have access to, who you can talk to, where you can go. In the online world, information architecture = social architecture.
B) The social dialogue and information model (external space)
All major brands use information architecture to market their products online, it is then commonly wrapped under the umbrella phrase 'digital strategy'. Information architecture used for strategic purposes encompasses brand SEOSEO
SEO or search engine optimization, the process of improving ranking in search engine results.SEO may also refer to:* Seo , a Korean family name* SE-O or Västra Götaland County, a county on the western coast of Sweden...
, strategic placement of virals, social media presence etc.
Charities, news outlets and social dialogue forums can make a much more specific use of the same tools for positive and important social purposes. Social Information Architecture is perceived as the socially conscious wing of commercial information architecture and function to exchange information and ideas between people and groups.
Social iA can pick up on conflicting issues that are treated with misunderstanding between cultures and leaves individuals and societies vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation. Since the net has such a far reach it is obvious to use it for meaningful and coordinated social dialogue.
Example of such issues are faith, environment, politics, climate change, war, injustice and other social challenges. Information architecture can help create frameworks in which sharing information brings people together, inspires and encourages them to participate in a forward thinking and unfragmented way. One of its core activities is to spread messages that bring people from opposite sites of social and cultural spectrums together and to confront uncomfortable subject head on.
How does social information architecture work?
Social iA utilizes a variety of Web2.0 applications to filter relevant or valuable information and weave them in appropriate information repository or provide feedback to interesting channels. Social iA makes strategic use of Search Engines, Social Media, Google Algorithms, as well as websites, video & news channels. It ‘reads’ or 'listens' to social conversations and search engineSearch engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
queries and engages with the net actively to gather clues about the world’s pulse on the internet. It assesses data, social & political trends, and respond with targeted campaigns to give people ideas, as well as help people with making sense of information.
Principals
Dan Brown in his paper 8 Principals of Social Information Architecture enlists the following principals:1. The principle of objects: Treat content as a living, breathing thing,
with a lifecycle, behaviors and attributes.
2. The principle of choices: Create pages that offer meaningful choices to users, keeping the range of choices available focused on a particular task.
3. The principle of disclosure: Show only enough information to help
people understand what kinds of information they’ll find as they dig
deeper.
4. The principle of exemplars: Describe the contents of categories by
showing examples of the contents.
5. The principle of front doors: Assume at least half of the website’s
visitors will come through some page other than the home page.
6. The principle of multiple classification: Offer users several different classification schemes to browse the site’s content.
7. The principle of focused navigation: Don’t mix apples and oranges
in your navigation scheme.
8. The principle of growth: Assume the content you have today is a
small fraction of the content you will have tomorrow.