I could not start a project without an inventory. I cannot imagine how I would reorganize a site if I didn't know what's there to be organized. A content survey is useful to get a quick feel for what's there, but I know I'd miss some of the most interesting, most buried information. Without an inventory, I don't really have an idea of whether I'm working with 1000 or 8000 pages and what the intricacies are within the inherent structure. It is impossible to do proper content analysis... (05/06). - Read more

I’ve spent the last year working with clients on a variety of information architecture and design problems. One of the most strikingly consistent issues, however, has been how many of these companies still haven’t developed content management systems. I’ve spoken with enterprises in the Fortune 100 who find themselves sitting on top of 6 years’ worth of Web content trapped in static HTML files. They know they need to get this stuff into database and redesign their site... (06/02). - Read more

You take a content inventory because, before redesigning a website or intranet, you need to know what you have. This is especially important if you will be migrating your content to a new structure or new CMS - at some point you need to know every single content element (01/06). - Read more

A content inventory is a methodical review of a Web site's content. It's essentially a research project, and the information you glean from conducting it is sometimes as important as the deliverable you create at the end. There are various kinds of inventories that you can use alone or in combination to reach different ends (10/01). - Read more