In many ways the web has always been about interactivity — what is hypertext except a way for the user to interact with a web resource. But the rise of web based applications like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube may indicate that the time has come to rethink how designers conceptualize web site design. Is there a shift underway from the notion of information architecture toward user experience? Certainly the importance of a nice homepage with its linked page hierarchy seems less useful to visitors in this age of Google searches. And users will more often consume content from multiple platforms, with the traditional computer-based web browser supplemented by smart phones and other mobile devices. Which makes it less likely users will experience the pages as the designers intended or follow the expected path through the site content. Perhaps the most important question is where should the focus be? On the content holders desire to present their information their way? Or on the users needs to access the information their way? It seems to me that on the internet betting against user wants and desires never really pays off.
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