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  • How to create your Information Model


A short introduction on how to create an information model for you documentation / communication requirements.

Communication is hard. Writing and maintaining documentation in a wiki that is maintainable and adheres to each stakeholder's requirements is nothing to be done on ad-hoc basis. Some work needs to be invested to get started. And then expect to work in your information model on a daily basis. This is not that you failed in putting enough thought into your requirements and how you want to solve them, but because your information or communication model will change over time. Moreover you continuously learn more details about your domain that puts you into a position to improve your way of communication.

There are plenty resources out there that will support you in creating your communication model. One of them is Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (Peter Morville, Louis Rosenfeld) (which we highly recommend reading!). You may also start by reading our blog posts

If this is more than you are able to invest right now, maybe the following short process may get you started to design your set of doctypes / blueprints for the projectdoc Toolbox.

Simplified Process

This is the basic course of tasks that would lead you to your simple information model to create your set of doctypes / blueprints.

  1. Identify entities of your domain
  2. list document properties for each entity
  3. list document sections for each entity
  4. Draw these entities as circles with its name inside
  5. Connect entities by lines and provide the navigation direction (one-way – no dynamic values!) and a name

The model you have created will help you to provide the specification for your doctype add-on.

Simple Example with Course, Room, and Attendee

 
  1. Identify entities of your domain
    1. Course
    2. Room
    3. Attendee
  2. list document properties for each entity
    1. Course: Date
    2. Attendee <none>
    3. Room: Size, Equipment
  3. list document sections for each entity
    1. Course: <none> since Description, References, and Resources are defaults
    2. Attendee: List of Courses
    3. Room

  4. Additional properties for Course: List of Attendees, Location