Information Architecture Definition
Information Architecture (IA) refers to structuring content in an organized manner to allow users to locate the necessary information without losing their way. Information Architecture answers questions about how groups of information relate, what names represent different parts, and how navigation occurs between these parts.
Information Architecture can be seen as map-making, where everything that needs to be mapped out on the territory has to be decided upon beforehand.
Core components of information architecture
In order to describe the concept of information architecture, one has to familiarize oneself with its four core components. Organization systems determine the basis on which the content would be organized, whether this is performed on the basis of topics, tasks, audience, or format. Labeling systems establish labels for categories, labeling, and navigation. Navigation systems establish ways to access the content.
IA also encompasses taxonomies, or controlled vocabularies, that establish relationships between pieces of content. For example, news portals can be organized through taxonomies to associate news items with an author, subject, date, and geographical location, and enable a reader to take different paths to the same news item.
How information architecture shapes UX
Being clear about the meaning of information architecture and its role in user experience design is fundamental to this discussion. Bad IA design results in frustrating experiences as users click through links just to find themselves on unrelated pages and abandon activities. Good IA design results in content that seems to have been organically grouped together based on logical categories and predictable paths.
In an effective IA, the users are not even aware of its presence. They are able to find the things they need in an efficient manner. An effective ecommerce website has an organized categorization of products, filters that are based on the consumers’ patterns of thinking, and easy-to-follow online paths for purchase.
IA has a direct effect on the following UX factors:
- Findability. Users can access given information either through navigation or searching.
- Comprehension. Categories organized by names and grouped information make sense.
- Task completion. The use of logical structures help users attain their goals.
- Lower cognitive load. An obvious organization reduces the need to think about where things are located.
Scroll through our glossary to learn more about user experience.