Kalbach, James http://tc.eserver.org/authors/Kalbach,_James A bibliography of works by Kalbach, James in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif Kalbach, James http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Kalbach,_James On Uncertainty in Information Architecture http://tc.eserver.org/35555.html http://tc.eserver.org/35555.html Uncertainty, in general, is a fundamental aspect of human activity and underlies much of our decision making. The notion of uncertainty in information seeking, in particular, dates back to Shannon and Weaver (1949) and since then has been investigated in many forms. Kulthau's (1993) work on information uncertainty is perhaps the most extensive. Through two specific examples, this article proposes uncertainty as a unifying heuristic in information architecture. Measurements of uncertainty can serve a diagnostic function in both the design and evaluation of information technologies and user interfaces. Printing the Web http://tc.eserver.org/33226.html http://tc.eserver.org/33226.html For some websites the user experience already extends onto paper, like it or not. Ignoring this may result in lower overall user satisfaction. Consider the following factors when designing web pages that will be printed. The Art of Project Management http://tc.eserver.org/26563.html http://tc.eserver.org/26563.html Can project management be an art? Has Berkun truly created a jargon-free guide for the whole project team? Kalbach leads us through the high-level tasks and the major milestones of this new book, while keeping us on task. Information Search Experience: Emotions in Information Seeking http://tc.eserver.org/23356.html http://tc.eserver.org/23356.html Description of a model for representing user search experiences. The Myth of 'Seven, Plus or Minus 2' http://tc.eserver.org/23213.html http://tc.eserver.org/23213.html This article proposes that the optimal number of menu items cannot be reduced to the generalized 'Magic Seven, Plus or Minus Two' (7±2). The author proposes that instead, when planning a site information architecture, the two most important considerations are breadth versus depth and the display of information. Challenging the Status Quo: Audi Redesigned http://tc.eserver.org/21345.html http://tc.eserver.org/21345.html In September 2000, Razorfish, Germany was tasked to redesign the main websites for Audi. In the process they explored workgroup software, utilized technology to support the brand ideals and challenged the status quo of current web navigation thinking by proposing a right handed navigation system. Printing the Web http://tc.eserver.org/21311.html http://tc.eserver.org/21311.html Despite predictions to the contrary, it doesn't seem that the advent of networked information sharing has reduced human consumption of paper. In fact, given the amount of printouts modern offices and homes produce, one is inclined to say that even <i>more</i> paper is generated today than ever before. Web Page Layout: A Comparison Between Left- and Right-Justified Site Navigation Menus http://tc.eserver.org/19255.html http://tc.eserver.org/19255.html The usability of two Web page layouts was directly compared: one with the main site navigation menu on the left of the page, and one with the main site navigation menu on the right. Sixty-four participants were divided equally into two groups and assigned to either the left- or the right-hand navigation test condition. Using a stopwatch, the time to complete each of five tasks was measured. The hypothesis that the left-hand navigation would perform significantly faster than the right-hand navigation was not supported. Instead, there was no significant difference in completion times between the two test conditions. This research questions the current leading Web design thought that the main navigation menu should be left justified.