Hi Milan, Not sure whether you mean "top-down," as in you're making the decisions and users will be adopting whatever you decide on? or "top-down" simply meaning a navigation/menu structure that involves several layers of hierarchy?
The former might suggest not so much input from users. But if you just mean the latter, I'd suggest investing effort into initial discovery--i.e., finding out how users already organize these concepts, literally, physically, and how they frame them up in their minds (i.e., "mental models")--as well as doing quick, frequent, iterative usability/validation testing to see how this schema works for the users. Up front you might want to do some card-sorting exercises (useful resource: http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/card_sorting_a_definitive_guide), as well as paper prototyping, simple task-based testing, etc. This may go beyond the scope of your project (or interest), but if you haven't done so as part of your discovery, you might research what existing information organization/design "systems" (formal and informal) already exist within your company that people use, as well as to inform your work. Additionally, find out whether this hierarchy you're putting together will be used or adopted by others--e.g., for classifying content, underlying/informing search, etc. On a semantic note...not sure this is a "taxonomy." If it were the basis for multiple purposes (as per above---adopted and leveraged more broadly for multiple purposes, beyond internal portal navigation) it would be a taxonomy. It seems more to be a navigation schema. But you can call it whatever works for your users, management, decision-makers, project funders/champions, and others who may be working this "space." Whatever makes sense to them and makes them want to care. Hope this is useful, Susan On Nov 8, 2007 3:44 PM, Milan Guenther <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > hi everybody, > > I am currently working on a high-level menu structure for an employee > portal, using a top-down approach. > We are trying to create a set of generic menu items (or menu folders) > where applications, resources etc. are being placed according to a > user's business roles. > > The first approach: > > Workplace > Collaboration > Reporting > Tools > Workflow > ... > Personal Data > My Profile (HR) > Travel Information > Reset Password > ... > Resources > Business Areas > Corporate Functions > ... > > > If there is anybody experienced in such a project would like to share > thoughts and ideas, please let me know. > > best regards > milan > -- > milan guenther * interaction design > ||| | | |||| || |||||||| | || | || > > designing the information workplace > +49 173 285 66 89 * www.guenther.cx > > ________________________________________________________________ > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
