Information Architecture

What is the discipline of Information Architecture?

There are many factors in a quality Web site Design, development, creativity, writing, color balance, and organization are all contributors, but careful planning is what makes or breaks the site. The old adage 'It'll come out in the wash' rarely works in practice. Lack of planning usually results in unorganized material and plenty of headaches along the way.

Information Architecture is the practice of designing the infrastructure of a Web site, specifically the navigation, the context and the content.

The title 'Information Architect' has quickly come out of obscurity and become a necessity in the art of web development. While one can go to school to obtain this title, the job can be performed reasonably well by following a certain amount of logic.

Why is it valuable?

The information architect lays a lot of the groundwork for how content is organized on a site, regardless of where that content resides (flat files, multimedia, database fields). And with complex Web sites and portals, an information architect can keep things from turning into a nightmare.

Also, a well structured site is the key to it's success. The good organisation of the content and navigation of the site is very important, so that the users can easily interact or find information on the site.

Think architect, not designer
The best way to think about the difference between an information architect and a designer is to think about the difference between a building's architect and an interior designer.
The architect primarily cares about structure, flow, and such fundamentals as placement of plumbing and electrical systems. If the architect doesn't do his job, then the building might collapse or fail to meet the needs of the people using or living in the building. For example, there may not be enough bedrooms.

 

When developing a website's information architecture where and how is the strategic intent and information requirements of the site identified?

Every Web site has a purpose, a motive, a driving factor that prompted the need to put it on the web. These goals should be considered during every decision throughout the process.

Make a list of what you would like your visitors to take with them when they leave your site. If you are preparing an informative content Web site you would want the visitor to leave knowing the information you conveyed. You might also want them to enjoy themselves while they are there. Subscribing to a newsletter or registering for a membership might also be nice. These are your goals. If you list these appropriately and reflect on them during the rest of the process, the odds of success are much higher.

Gather Information
The more information you can gather, the better. Gather as much as you can, even if it is significantly more than you will need. What isn't as powerful or effective can always be discarded later.

A good way to get information would be through interviews with the client to analyse the business needs. Prepare a list of questions concerning the business, the users and the purpose of the site.

Once you have as much information as you can possibly gather (which usually ends up being a large, messy stack of papers), you're on your way to the organizational process.

Organize the Information
Divide the information into groups of similar themes. Give each group a name that encompasses everything in the stack.

Here is a sample diagram for a typical small business site:

The goal of organizing the content is to avoid unnecessary deep links. Ideally, users should be able to find any piece of content on your site with no more than 3 clicks.