Navigating 032c
032c, a “Manual for Freedom, Research & Creativity”, strikes a provocative balance between print and web design, found here: 032c.com. With loud images, large fonts, and clashing colors, I would like to explore the way-finding measures in place to help users navigate this digital playground. This is an interesting case because this website is comprised of digital media, magazines, and apparel items in a single feed.
To understand the information architecture presented, I look to a framework for categorizing meta data explained by Anastasios Karafillis in his article Efficiently Simplifying Navigation, Part 1: Information Architecture. This framework poses three meta data categories: crucial, optional, and irrelevant.
Crucial data /
(a) Content is the impetus of 032c, as a media publication. The homepage shows recent stories, using “content” as an umbrella term to exhibit articles, videos, photos, and advertisements. It should be noted that content is primarily organized by date of publication with the exception of advertisements, which remain in place as new stories are published. Content is labelled by attention-grabbing headlines, supported by photos and videos.
(b) Store is another crucial category for this company, housing its e-commerce pages. The store is broken down into two categories: Apparel and Magazine. There are further categories under apparel:
- “Spotlight”, which houses New Arrivals and Sale, and
- “Categories” with Tops, Bottoms, Underwear, Footwear, and Accessories.
It’s worth noting that gender was not used to label apparel, as these items are designed with all identities in mind.
Optional data /
(a) Archive hosts past content, apparel, and magazines. A search bar is prompted, a tool used for searching its database for known items or re-finding previously viewed data.
(b) Dynamic filters include a few of the categories mentioned above. When a user searches for a query, for example “new york”, three filters are presented: Content, Apparel, and Magazine. These filters cater to each unique user’s needs for visiting this website.
Irrelevant data /
(a) About tells the story of 032c, including its origins and team.
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(b) Careers shows opportunities for employment at the 032c office in Berlin.
(c) Stockists are listed by country, and categories may be applied for filtering by Apparel, Ready-to-Wear, and Magazine. It should be noted that Ready-to-Wear is not a previously-used filter, and the abbreviated label assumes familiarity with fashion industry jargon.
(d) Legal shows the entire privacy policy in German. No other pages on this website are in German.
(e) Contact lists social media accounts and the office address.
(f) Shipping + Returns is additional information for e-commerce customers.
Further navigation
While the menu provides expedited use of this website, time is not the most important factor when browsing 032c. Many people consider reading magazines to be a leisurely method for exploring personal interests, and this website supports such perusing. At the end of each article, internal and external links take users further in the information, or promote sales of magazines or apparel. Then, a share icon allows users to copy the article link. Following, each team member who worked on this project is listed, with their IG account linked. And finally, a related article is presented, followed by a link to the homepage labelled “Deeper”.
Final thoughts
032c, like many media publications, hosts a vast amount of information. Its information architecture allows users to break through this breadth to find stories and products they desire. While this website may deter some, its many years of operating has surely produced sufficient analytics to support its chosen information architecture systems.
References:
Karafillis, A., About The Author I am a freelance user interface designer based in Greece. Having studied Social Sciences and Philosophy, & Author, A. T. (2013, December 3). Efficiently simplifying navigation, part 1: Information architecture. Smashing Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/efficiently-simplifying-navigation-information-architecture/.
Manual for Freedom, Research & Creativity. 032c. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://032c.com/.
