[thelist] evaluating information

[Alida Ladak]

hello wise ones,

I have a question that is clumsy, so bear with me.  I work on a secure site
that is almost entirely a dynamic application.  It's like a bank site, but
more complex and frothing with features.  The information we present can be
overwhelming for our infrequent users, but is suitable for others. I'm
interested in determining what is the right first layer of information, and
what information can be retrieved through an extra action or click.

You'll be relieved to know that I realize most of this will come from
usability (which we pursue regularly).  At the same time, I'm looking for
resources about techniques or theories to approach this effectively.  In my
search under information architecture, I haven't encountered information
that deals with determining risk.  By this I mean how to determine the risk
of moving a piece of info/component to a second layer rather than offering
it up at the first layer.

I hope I am coherent enuf for someone out there.  Is there a field other
than information architecture I should search?  Are there terms/buzz words
that would achieve better results?  help.