Information Architecture

and User
Understanding Usability
Information Architecture Steps
 Information Architecture Best Practices
Don’t Focus on Hierarchy, Focus on Structure
Hierarchy is Adjustable. The homepage will always be the homepage, but where it
leads, how users get to those places, and everything in between and beyond is
determined later.

All Processes Should Be Logical

Even though the IA in the UX process is for user interactions, every step of the way
has to make sense. Registration screens shouldn’t lead to settings, a camera function
shouldn’t jump to a map view…the list goes on.

Remember the UX Process

A common mistake is to just make IA, without resources, research, or other assets or
work. That’s like telling an author to write a book without an outline, or a
programmer to code an app without prototypes.

You Are the Cartographer

Cartographers take everything about a map into consideration, from mountain ranges
to state borders. Just like map makers, designers determine what goes into the IA
design. Individual pages, specific user behaviors, context for decision points… and so
on.
.
Information Architecture Is Ever-Changing and Evolving
To drill the point home once more, all IAs are built for change. Products evolve,
designs change, users adapt, and the cycle continues, over and over. Don’t take it too
seriously and know that there will always be room for improvement. Don’t aim for
perfection; build a simple, adaptable IA.
Information Architecture Dev. Tools
•Context: business goals, funding,
politics, culture, technology, resources,
constraints
•Content: content objectives, document
and data types, volume, existing
structure,
•Users: audience, tasks, needs,
information-seeking behaviour,
experience
•Organization Schemes and Structures: How you categorize
and structure information
•Labeling Systems: How you represent information
•Search Systems: How users look for information
In line labels
Floating Labels
Navigation Systems: How users browse or move through
information
Navigation Systems: How users browse or move through
information
Tabs
sitemap
The information architecture
(IA) defines the overarching
structure and relationship
between all areas of a site (or
multiple sites) and informs
the sitemap; the sitemap lists
all the (labelled) pages in
entirety and shows hierarchy,
structure and often page
goals and
content/functionality that
happens to be on that
particular page; and finally,
the navigation guides users
via links to all areas of a
website.