Peter Morville
5 books
design
What they argue
Peter Morville is an information architect who focuses on the structural design of digital spaces and the organization of shared information environments. He works in the territory of Information Architecture (IA) and search design, focusing on how to make content discoverable, navigable, and usable.
Usability as an Architectural Property
Usability is not a visual property but an architectural one. While UI design focuses on aesthetics, Information Architecture focuses on how information is organized and labeled to align with human mental models.
From Information architecture for the World Wide Web (book)
The Organization of Information
This is the systematic categorization of content into logical groupings, acting as the 'filing cabinet' of the digital world. Without a clear organizational scheme, users suffer from frustration and difficulty in finding information.
From Information architecture for the World Wide Web (book)
The 8 Principles of Information Architecture
These principles serve as a 'North Star' for information design, including concepts like Choice and Findability. They ensure that systems provide enough options to be useful without overwhelming the user.
From Information architecture for the World Wide Web (book)
Search as a Dynamic Interaction
Search is a conversation between the user and the system rather than a static destination. It is a primary navigation paradigm that requires its own unique design patterns and mental models.
From Search patterns (book)
The Search Loop
The search process is a cycle of Query, Results, Evaluation, and Refinement. Most designs fail because they focus only on the 'Results' page rather than the entire loop.
From Search patterns (book)
Organization Systems
Information is grouped through three primary types: Hierarchical (top-down), Sequential (step-by-step), and Matrixed (multiple paths). These systems are the method by which information is categorized.
From Information architecture for the World Wide Web (book)
Every idea names the summary it came from. Written by a local model from this mind’s own work, never from memory.
Books 3
- Search patterns — Search is not just a feature; it is a fundamental way of interacting with information that requires a distinct…
- Information architecture for the World Wide Web — Information Architecture (IA) is the science of organizing, labeling, and structuring content so that users can find…
- Information Architecture for the World Wide Web — Information Architecture (IA) is the structural design of shared information environments—the science of organizing,…