Information architecture

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Having carried out user research and analysed the data, IA is the next logical step. I have seen job job titles specifically for Information Architects, but it also seems to be something that designers, developers and content strategists ‘do’ too. It was a module that was covered in my UX course - something that I should expect to do as a UX designer.

“Information architecture is about helping people understand their surroundings and find what they’re looking for, in the real world as well as online.”

— Information Architecture Institute

It is:

• The structure of a website / app / project

• Helps the user understand where they are

• And helps us understand where the information is that we want (in relation to our current position)

• It has a massive impact on the users experience

It has its routes in Library science, Cognitive psychology and architecture (among other fields/methodologies)

Key elements from cognitive psychology that impact a users experience:

• Cognitive load

• Mental models

• Decision making

Tools/methods to use to work out structure:

• Follow conventions

• Benchmark peers

• Look at traffic data

• Look at search data

• Define a hypothesis

• Use card sorting with real people

• Keep refining

Best practices:

• Don’t focus on hierarchy, focus on structure

• All processes should be logical

• Remember the UX process

• Construct the IA for the end user – the product development and design teams

• Information architecture is ever-changing and evolving. Don’t aim for perfection; build a simple, adaptable IA.

article here on smashing magazine

and here on UX booth

and Toptal.com

Having gathered the research data, working out content and hierarchy, it is a natural progression to plot the flow of the user through the product. Talking about flow diagrams can be tricky as there are different types. This is an excellent article.

On my course we focused on user flow diagrams: a visual representation of the number of interactions a user needs to make to achieve their goal/task. It’s not the number of screens it’s the interactions.