Information Usability
There’s no point in storing information if you can’t use it afterwards. Making information usable is critical to provide return on investment for information management projects.
There are three main aspects to making information usable:
Database and Algorithms – The underlying database must be able to represent the information accurately and without compromise, and then provide accurate and relevant search to find it later.
Information Architecture – Building on top of the database, the information must be structured and described in a way which supports the intended use of the information.
User Interface – The end user must be able to find the answers to their questions as quickly as possible using an attractive and engaging interface which doesn’t get in their way.
Since each aspect builds on the previous aspects, it’s not possible to produce a usable system without a holistic approach to Information Usability. It touches every aspect of an information management system, and cannot just be “bolted on” to an existing system.
Good usability is fundamental in the design of effective information systems. Improving the user interface doesn’t help if the search results hide the useful information in amongst a mass of irrelevant documents.
OneIS is the result of years of experience and practical research into Information Usability. From the core information handling to its compelling user interface, it’s been designed and refined to turn your information into a valuable, useful and usable resource.
Database and Algorithms
Traditional databases apply a rigid and unforgiving structure to data. But information is not data; while it has structured elements, a large proportion is unstructured and doesn’t fit into a common template. Trying to squeeze this into a traditional database is an exercise in frustration.
But if you abandon structure, as in a simple wiki, you lose the context of your information. Your search can only search for keywords, and relevancy in search results suffers. You cannot support effective browsing and “serendipitous discovery” of useful related information.
OneIS’ Object Store applies modern information handling from the principles of the Semantic Web and metadata standards, enabling it to handle structured and unstructured information simultaneously. Using hybrid algorithms, it brings the best from both worlds to your search results.
Accurate handling of unstructured information allows you to find everything, while the context provided by the structured information helps guide OneIS to understand the context of your information. This context allows OneIS to show the most useful information at the top of your search results.
Without the ability to store data in a way that lends itself to retrieving and locating information later, it won’t be possible to find that information to use it later. An effective underlying store of information is vital to providing good usability. If you can’t find it, you can’t use it.
Information Architecture
Building on the underlying data structure, the Information Architecture is how the information is structured and organised. This is the choice of what information to record and how to describe it to support the requirements of the users and how they will find the items they need.
The organisation of information and how it’s labeled, searched and navigated is critical to delivering good “findability” within the collection of information. If it cannot be found by the people who need it, the information is useless.
Building on top of the Object Store, OneIS provides an architectural framework for describing information, then searching it and discovering answers through browsing. Relationships between items of information form a web of information, much like the World Wide Web we use everyday, and provides the basis for navigating through the information.
OneIS allows curators of information to build an effective architecture for their specific collection. Using powerful tools, you can create a basic framework within a few hours. But importantly, your information architecture can evolve over time as needs change and more is learnt about how users need to find the information which supports their work.
User Interface
The User Interface is the most visible aspect of Information Usability. Even if the other two aspects are perfect, a bad UI can make it impossible to locate the required information.
While an appealing visual interface designed by a skilled graphic designer is important, it’s the way the interface works which largely determines its effectiveness. The UI must allow the required information to be found in as few steps as possible, while letting the user focus on the task rather than interacting with the software.
Good user interface is elegant and attractive, but never loses sight of the fundamental goal of providing the right information, when it’s needed, with the minimum of fuss.
The OneIS team have worked with a world-class graphic designer to produce an attractive but restrained visual appearance. The polished low-key look allows the information to shine through without distractions, and because OneIS behaves like a web site, everyone already knows how to use it.
But OneIS’ beauty is more than skin deep. The user interface is designed to provide quick access to information, whether that’s through a search query, the built in intranet, or the many ways of browsing through the information.
Speed of access to information is critical. The underlying Object Store responds so quickly that the user never notices a wait for a page to be displayed or to see their search results, and interactions themselves are designed to be effortless.
It’s this effortless access to information which means that your users will have a real emotional attachment to their OneIS. By making the information they need usable, you help them learn and know more. And by knowing more, they can excel in their work.