Creating an information architecture

The Design Need:

Before starting with the visual and technical design of your site you need to define the structure of your website. All the content and functionality needs to be structured in a suitable manner for your audience.

Best Practice Solution:

Create an information architecture based on product requirements, user needs and expectations, business goals and the available content. The combination of user, customer and content analysis will form the basis to create a suitable information architecture for your website.

Basic steps

• Gather all needed information and content via a combination of user, customer and content analysis. Make sure you understand all information, relations, needs, etc.
• Organize the content according to what you know.
• Revise the information architecture multiple times until you feel all pieces fall together.
• Gather feedback on your architecture from your target audience, revise the information architecture and go back until you get it right.

Content analysis
In case of a redesign you analyze the current site and its content. When there is no site, you can read brochures, promotional material, reports of the company, gather content that will need to be presented on the site. if you have the time in combination with user research.

User & customer analysis
Gather as much info about the future users and/or customers. What are their needs, expectations, habits, etc.? Also try to find out about the environment and situations where the user will be when using your website. You can do this by talking to potential users and, if possible, observe them in action. Be aware to talk to the actual users and to their managers or marketing.

Some tips and tricks on creating an information architecture.

• Organize available content into logical groups
• Define labels for the different groups that reflect the content they are referring to. More detailed information in de best practice ‘Writing headings and links’
• Check if all content that is offered in your architecture will also be available in real life.
• Design a structure that is easily understood by visitors to the site.
• Provide multiple ways to access content, multiple navigation paths, search, etc.
• Look for the balance between the levels of navigation & the amount of content offered at a certain level.

When to use:

Ideally the IA process is the first thing you should do after a thorough process of user research. Also during the design phase and development it is necessary to do some checking.

Why To use this Best Practice:

The information architecture is the foundation of your website. Finding out after launching the site that the users cannot find their way in the structure will cause a structural problem and will cost much more in time and resources to solve it.

More info elsewhere:

• “How do I draft an Information Architecture?” on ww.uie.com
• “Content Analysis Heuristics” on www.boxesandarrows.com
• “Tools and tips to create great information architecture” on www.clearfunction.com
• “Tools for ideation” www.konigi.com

• Categorized as Best Practices