With the influx of more devices where we can consume information, the volumes of information are multiplying faster than before. And it’s even more difficult to find the information we want or need. Interfaces vary and limit our ability to find information, but other factors are also involved. How can we take advantage of these factors and make finding information easier? Cheryl Landes has some ideas from her experiences of helping people find information for more than two decades. One may even surprise you: incorporating search with indexes!

1. Taming the Information
Scavenger Hunt
Cheryl Landes
STC-Rochester Spectrum Conference
March 21, 2013

2. Agenda
 What is findability?
 The elements of findability
 Helping users find information

3. Word of the Day:
Findability
 Findability is the ability to actually
discover and retrieve the information
you’re seeking.
 Findability = Navigation + Search

4. What is navigation?
 Navigation is how you move around in
content.
 To navigate, you use:
◦ Buttons
◦ Tabs
◦ Tables of contents
◦ Menus
◦ Links
◦ Indexes

5. Navigational Control
Considerations
 Are controls intuitive?
◦ Refresh button on Kindle Reader
◦ Tabs on Adobe Digital Editions
◦ Where did the controls go?
 Do controls follow the familiar UI
standards?
 Do you know to where the controls will
lead?
 Can you return to where you were?
 Can you retrace your virtual steps, if
needed?

6. What is search?
 Search is the act of looking for specific
content by entering a query in a
search engine.
 Queries consist of keywords, or
search terms, that displays the
information the search engine finds.
 The search engine displays the results
of the query from the most to least
relevant.

7. Search Considerations
 Is the search interface intuitive?
 Do you really know where you’re
searching?
 Can you get useful, relevant results
when you enter a search term?

8. What are indexes?
 Indexes are a list of terms that point
users exactly to the information they’re
seeking.
 Indexes also provide alternate points of
entry for the same terms (synonyms).
 Indexes also lump together important
topics in the book so that the user can
find all of the information organized in
one place. Not always obvious in table of
contents.

9. Indexes vs. Tables of
Contents
 A table of contents is simply a list of
headings in the content. These
headings usually do not contain the
terms that people are seeking, and if
they do, the information may be more
general.
 An index contains specific terms
pulled from the discussions in the
content the leads readers directly to
that information.

10. Table of Contents
Source:
Pillars of the
Earth

11. Table of Contents
Source:
Conversation
and Community

12. Considerations for Making Content
Findable
 Who is your audience?
 What are your audience’s needs?
 Which devices are your readers using?
 What are the interface limitations of the
devices?
 What types of content will your readers
want to find?
 How many terms can you include to help
your readers find the same content?
(language background, cultural differences)

13. Index
Source:
Microsoft
Style Guide

14. Summary
 Findability is about discovering and
gathering information.
 Navigation and search together help
users find the information they need.
 Knowing which devices will be used
and understanding how these work
helps us create and deliver content
that’s easier to find.

15. Contact Information
Cheryl Landes
Tabby Cat Communications
4742-42nd Avenue SW #512
Seattle, WA 98116-4553
(206) 937-2488
clandes407@aol.com