We will create the architecture by the card-sorting process - that is, creating a card or slip of paper for each chunk of information, and having each of the team members sort them into related groups. Here's what you'll need to do:
- Start with the Content Inventory your team created in the previous step. Create a "card" or slip of paper with each information item on it. Actually, it helps to make several copies of each slip, so several team members (and possibly others as well) can "play".
- Each person should sort the cards into groups. The groups should contain items that represent a page or series of related pages. Ideally, these groups should in turn be related to one another, so that similar groups are close to (above, below, or beside) groups of cards that share some common ideas.
- If possible, the cards should be fixed to a large sheet of paper, and their position recorded - perhaps by photocopying.
After each person has created their own card grouping, these should be carefully compared by each member of the team. Similarities and differences should be discussed, until a decision can be reached about how to organize the actual site. If there is substantial disagreement, one design should be chosen as primary, and the other(s) listed as alternative possibilities. In that case, it is fruitful to test the different designed with users in the next step, Usability Test Findings.
- Individual team members get their part of this assignment to the Team Leader by email attachment, or some other method mutually agreed upon in discussion.
- Team Leader makes sure all documents in the milestone of which this is a part are gathered together in a compatible form.
- Team Leader and/or content specialist check for correct spelling and English usage.
- Team leader verifies that material submitted meets the requirements.
- Team leader or content specialist FTP the material to the team's Web site, informing the instructor and other team members by emailing to them the URI.