Thursday, June 24, 2010

Facets for Taxonomies

From Sumo to Samurai: getting your taxonomies fighting fit: Part 1 by Kate Simpson, FUMSI (June 2010)

This FUMSI article follows up on a 2-part piece last year on Designing User-Centred Taxonomies. Kate Simpson takes issue with what she calls Sumo taxonomies (blockbuster big), and proposes more use of facets and faceted search.

"Part 1 of this article - yes, if it's about taxonomies it just seems to need two parts - introduces the concept of facets and the power of faceted navigation and search. A later article will aim to train any of those lumbering Sumo-type taxonomy trees you may have into the fighting-fit warriors of Samurai facets."

Classification systems as we have known them were designed for paper. Facets work better for digital.

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