> > Forcing categories means forcing the audience into a particular > mental model, and in the case of our store that has so many users of > different professions, we inhibit as many as we help. >
Sorry to be frank, but this is a cop-out. It's a easy-out answer (that I've heard before) for companies afraid of making difficult IA decisions. Do you think Target.com, Amazon, BN, and other major retailers out there have only users of a single profession with a single mental model? Do you think a product on one of those sites only shows up under a single category? Run some card sorts. Study other sites with faceted navigation. Study what successful sites structured like your own (likely any commerce site) are doing and how they work. -r- ________________________________________________________________ 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
