Information Architecture Redesign for Second Life

Description:

The Second Life Viewer was the user's window into virtual world and the administrative tools to mediate that experience. As features were added to the Viewer, it evolved into a collection of disconnected and confusing experiences. As evidence, 10% of new users abandoned Second Life after 1 hour of use and 30% of these people stated that usability was a primary reason. Given this data, an expansive overhaul of the Viewer’s information architecture was undertaken. Leveraging user research including questionnaires and personas, the new user features targeted for revision were:

• Communication
• Appearance
• Inventory
• Navigation
• Search

The new IA distributed functionality along the top, bottom, and right edges of the Viewer. By attaching workflow entry points to the edges, we lessened the cognitive load and burden of window management for new users.