The term information architecture is now being widely used to describe the structure and organization of information on a website and how it all fits together. The information architecture of a site can be depicted through a site map, in a diagram or on a spreadsheet.
Designers and website owners who want to make a site work for a better user experience can achieve this by planning the IA before looking into the elements of navigation – the links, menus and other interface elements that are depicted in wireframes.
Modern web design has to put the needs of users first, and planning the information architecture for a site is an essential part of creating the best user experience, which leads to greater interaction and a higher conversion rate. To gain a good understanding of IA and how it can be used to help improve the user experience, you need to know exactly what is involved in the work of an information architect.
A good place to start is by looking at how information architecture differs from interactive design, and then learning how to prevent badly organized information architecture. By moving on to learn some of the techniques that can be used to improve the information architecture of a site, you will be able to see what it is about information architecture that makes web design more effective.
It’s not the same as interactive design
Planning the information architecture of a site involves organizing all data required for the project and all the elements of its interactive design. At the beginning of new project it is necessary to have full knowledge of the amount of data that you are going to be working with and how it will need to be organized.
Adding content-based applications to a site involves making a choice of how you will organize the top level contents for site navigation. Short-cuts, faceting and search nodes for these contents need to be considered, and whether you want visitors to see these at the top or on the left side of a page.
Creating the information architecture of a site is not the same as interactive design, but it is part of what is required for creating all the interactions that can be made by a user by touching a screen, using a mouse or tapping a keyboard. It also has a lot to do with the menu and the buttons that will allow users to navigate, search, browse or view content. The focus is of information architecture is on deciding where to place a list, a button, a menu or a graphic, and what the effect of user interaction with any of those will be.
What does the information architect do?
Information architecture is the structure that affects user experience, but an information architect is involved in more than just creating this structure or planning the basic web design. Effective navigation of the content and the functionality of the meta-data are also part of the information architecture.
Creating the information architecture for a site has more to do with the process of categorization, mapping and organizing of information so that it will be easy for any user to manipulate. It’s about knowing exactly where data should be displayed, what should appear on the landing page and what needs to goes on the following page, and the one after that. Information architecture involves the mapping between those pages and how all the data is organized.
The task of an information architect is therefore more of a combination of roles, it requires the same skills that are employed by a user-experience designer and by the designer of a structure for the user experience.
A dedicated information architect could be asked to work on any type of project that involves the presentation of information, but really information architecture is part of the design process. Almost any experienced web designer can quickly become adept at information architecture.
If you have already done some user-experience designing when working on sites that are more complex than a simple microsite, then you will have acquired some knowledge of information architecture and will know how to handle it. If you are not so well informed about controlled vocabulary or faceted navigation, then you will need to learn some more about the structure of information architecture.
A good designer will know what the experience of the end user should be and will use information architecture to create the best structure for user interaction. One piece of information will appear ahead of another that obviously follows on from it. It should be perfectly clear to any user that some of the content on different pages is correlated and that some information is independent of any other data.
As an example, a college website that is designed to cater mainly for prospective students and their parents will also feature navigation for alumni services, but that information would not appear ahead of any information intended for prospective students.
Bad information architecture
It should be obvious that poor organization of data on a site will lead to fewer conversions, but bad information architecture is quite common. The biggest mistake made in creating it is in basing a website around the owner or the CEO’s view of how the business is structured, instead of organizing the information for the benefit of the user. This is a case of bad information architecture being based on a HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion).
You will see many instances of bad information architecture on sites where the organization of data has been done according to the opinion of the highest paid person in the company, and that person really has no knowledge of how a website needs to be structured or how to construct a site so that user experience will lead to better results.
What to use to make better information architecture
Although information architecture is intrinsically a digital process, most of the techniques involved in improving it require the use of analog tools. Information architecture techniques require tools such as graph paper and pencil for sketching out flow charts, drawing site maps and deciding what should go into wireframes.
In the early stages of planning information architecture, the use of a whiteboard makes it easier for a design team to work together on creating the right structure for a project. Web designers and business professionals can use a whiteboard to add their own ideas. Then the entire team will be able to visualize the ideas, understand how the content needs to work and see where connections need to be made.
Another important technique for planning better information architecture is to use card sorting. This is a very common tool that is frequently used for gathering ideas. Site owners and design teams can first decide which topics of information are to feature on the site. Then each separate topic will be written or printed on an index card.
Everyone involved should be asked to organize the topics into how they think the information should be organized and categorized. This technique is particularly useful for creating better information architecture for complex sites.
The case for card sorting
After writing down the different elements onto a set of cards, and assessing the results of card sorting, the outcome can be utilized. Card sorting is an extremely useful method for finding a fast solution at very little cost.
There could be any number of reasons for a site to perform badly, so card sorting will not fix every problem, but what card sorting will do is improve the information architecture of the site.
Card sorting is a user-centered process, so it’s also a powerful method for creating a better user experience. Site users can be involved in the information architecture of a website when this technique is used.
The ultimate goal of card sorting is better information architecture, so that content is properly grouped, categorized and organized. It can be used to structure a set of questions for a FAQ page, to arrange product information on a selling site or to unravel a complex site map. Each participant in card sorting decides on what elements should be grouped together to make the best sense for anyone using the site.
The big advantage of card sorting is that it’s a great all-purpose tool that can be used to structure a business presentation, to structure feedback from an internal meeting. Card sorting provides answers to all types of questions in specific situations, particularly when setting up user-based content strategies that are imperative if a new project is to get off to a good start, and when redesigning an existing site.
Card sorting can be used in combination with other strategies to improve user interaction. It works best when combined with a good content strategy. Problems often arise on bigger more complex sites where the content is not well organized or properly managed. This is also particular issue on sites with a lot of content that frequently updated.
Content strategy should cover decisions about how out-of-date content or old content should be managed, how often the site should be updated and who is responsible for making sure the site is kept up-to-date. A content management strategy also needs to be set up for maintaining labels, categories, tags and other taxonomies.
There is no easier or more reliable information architecture technique than card sorting. It costs very little and it helps participants to become familiar with the concept of user-centered design and user-based organization of content structure.
Ending thoughts
Information architecture is the key to creating a well-structured site with well-organized content. This will mean that visitors to the site will find it easier to use.
Good user experience is essential because without it visitors will leave without finding what they want, or may struggle to make a purchase, and knowledge of information architecture means that you can create a site with better usability.
You could find yourself working on a project alongside a dedicated information architect, but when you are involved in any web design project you will be able to produce a more effective design when you have a good understanding of information architecture.
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