What is information architecture?
Information architecture is like the plan for a Website,
similar to an architect's drawing.
It's not marketing. It's not content management. It's
not site administration. It's about creating a framework
that is flexible. It's about making your site scalable.
It's about anticipating change.
Information
architecture is a schema or design for an information
entity. An entity that must perform effectively in
the long term, that must be able to evolve, that is
prepared for contingencies. If your site requires
significant restructuring or redesign for changes
or additions, chances are you have poor information
architecture.
Why
is information architecture important?
Imagine that you've just
invested a significant amount of money and time into
your site. It's aesthetically beautiful, technically
perfect, and full of wonderful content. But you're
finding that users can't find the information they
need. You can't determine where to put new content
and when to remove old content. You are unsure how
to archive old information. Perhaps there is no more
room to place additional information? Your design
simply won't allow it.
What
would it be worth to you to know that someone could
anticipate common problems in the life-cycle of your
Website? That someone could anticipate and help you
build for your users' needs from the very beginning?
Anyone who has ever "pulled their hair out" desperately
trying to develop a last minute "work around" should
appreciate the role that an information architect
could have fulfilled.
Who
is an information architect?
Webmasters
are not information architects, neither are Web designers,
content developers or most marketing personnel. They
are unfortunately asked to fulfill this role everyday.
Most
Web developers concentrate either on the aesthetics
or the mechanics of the site. Information architecture
is about the framework that holds the two together.
Your site needs information architecture that supports
growth, management, and ease of use.
Whereas
most designers intuitively understand that they are
designing for a specific audience's needs and habits,
many of them are not professionally trained or educated
in hierarchy design and organization, user-centric
principles and theories. Sometimes they "hit". Sometimes
they "miss". Rarely will they ever really know why.
