Information Architecture
Description
Information architecture is structuring the content of your project. Which topic occurs where, and how it is related to other topics. This should be done at the beginning of a project when designing a new application. It is especially relevant when your project is complex and/or when designing for an expert target group (like the glasshouse operators for the Hoogendoorn project). It is important to create an information architecture that complies with the logic of your users, so they can navigate the content easily. The information architecture is the underlying foundation of the final design, so its final outcome should be an easy to navigate application. The information architecture structure can be presented through schemes, like a sitemap.
How to
Information architecture entails both understanding the logic of your users, and creating a good structure of the information presented throughout the application. For this reason there are several methods you can use that contribute to good information architecture.
- User interviews (link)
- Listen for the terminology and vocabulary your users use.
- Card Sorting (link)
- Do this exercise together with participants from your target group, to understand their logic.
- Content audit (link)
- Sitemap (link)
- Make a sitemap to visually explain the hierarchy and structure of information across different pages of your application.
- Object Oriented UX (link)
- Helps to understand the relation between different ‘objects’ (users, topics, ..) for the application.
Tips
- Regularly check in with your target group, to make sure the structure you are creating makes sense to them. Test this with examples, not with schemes.
- Understanding the information architecture from a top-level view can be quite challenging for stakeholders. Think about who you want to include in top-level discussions (‘the entire picture’), and who you just want to demo the product to.
- Present your structure with concrete examples or visual metaphors, to make it easier for stakeholders to understand.
What do you need
| Tools | People | Time |
|---|---|---|
| What tools do you need to bring to perform this method? | Interaction designer | 1 hour or 2 days? The indication can be a bandwidth as well |
Learn more
- http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/complete-beginners-guide-to-information-architecture/
- https://uxplanet.org/information-architecture-basics-for-designers-b5d43df62e20
- https://theblog.adobe.com/a-beginners-guide-to-information-architecture-for-ux-designers/
- https://vimeo.com/8866160
- ‘A practical guide to Information Architecture’ by Donna Spencer
- ‘How to make sense of any mess’ by Abby Covert