The Evernden Eight - the 8 key factors for architecting information							Introduction
Categories	Understanding	Presentation	Evolution	Knowledge	Responsibility	Process	Meta Levels

Factor 3 - Presentation is about how information is presented. Presenting the same information in different ways can suggest totally new meanings or reveal hidden patterns.

This is particularly true when a value is analysed over a period of time to identify trends - for example a stock market index viewed in a graph at monthly intervals will show highs and lows more easily than scanning for the same patterns in a table of figures. Showing the number of product sales per month will not reveal the sales patterns on a daily, weekly or hourly basis.

Some of the main questions here include:

• How is the information represented or stored?
• How is the information structured?
• Is it possible to structure it differently?

In this case, the address is shown in a text format, with different components separated by punctuation or starting a new line. The component parts of the address are not explicitly identified or labelled.

Alternatively the address could be shown as a grid-reference on a map - which might also provide information about the size of the property and its relation to other houses or buildings. Or it could be included in a table, with column headings to identify the various parts of the address.

Information architecture helps us to decide the most appropriate way to get our message across. It makes sure that meaning isn't lost because we chose the wrong way of presenting the information.