Taxonomies have evolved from classification systems to adaptable interactive tools to link users to desired content on websites. Taxonomies are not the same as a website’s navigation and can do a lot more. Taxonomies can provide guiding categories of topics, suggested search terms, aspects for faceted search, or topics for sorting and filtering results. To be truly helpful, however, taxonomies need to be well designed to suit the users and use cases, be customized to the content, and conform to taxonomy best practices and standards so that they are easy and intuitive to use.

This workshop teaches taxonomy creation principles and addresses the issues of designing a taxonomy to serve users. It presents best practices in designing taxonomies, including the principles of wording of terms, incorporating synonyms, creating relationships between terms, and designing hierarchies and facets. Other topics include taxonomy project planning, support for tagging, and considerations for taxonomy governance and maintenance. The workshop will also include practical exercises and demo the use of taxonomy management software.

Key takeaways

• How taxonomies can enhance search and findability
• What sources to use for developing taxonomy terms and the recommended process
• How to create terms, their synonyms, and relationships, according to best practices
• How to design hierarchies and facets
• How to govern and maintain a taxonomy