What is information architecture?
Imagine you want to clean your room, but you don’t know where to start. Information architecture is like having a plan to put everything in its place: socks in the drawer, books on the shelf, underwear in the laundry basket… it’s basically the Marie Kondo of data on the internet! It allows to organize, structure and classify information to create an efficient user experience, it is essential to create a website, a mobile application, an information system, an intranet or a social network!
It must be accessible to all users, including people with visual or hearing disabilities. This includes following accessibility standards and providing text alternatives for images and videos.
However, it is not enough to put all the information in a bowl and mix it for the magic to happen. You need to think about how users will navigate your site or app. How will they find the information they need? How do you introduce them to content they didn’t know about?
Cognitive psychology: the foundation of information architecture and UX/UI design
Cognitive psychology can be defined as the study of the functioning of the human mind and its psychological functions as :
-The memory
-The language
-The reasoning
-The perception
-Attention
-The emotions
UX and UI design are fields that are inspired by theories of cognitive psychology and human interaction with colors, symbols and information. Information architecture, in particular, explores the principles of cognitive psychology to structure and present information to users.
Create a site map for effective information architecture
Information architecture involves planning and organizing the various contents of your site so that they are clearly structured and easy to find for your users. One of the main ways to implement an effective information architecture is to create a site map. A sitemap is a map that shows the different pages of your website and how they are organized.
When creating a site map, it is important to keep in mind the goals of your site and the needs of your users. Your site map should be designed so that users can quickly and easily find the information they are looking for. It should also be organized in a logical and coherent way, so that users can easily navigate between the different pages of your site.
The tools of information architecture
Navigation: the shortest way to information
UX Design is the key to making your website or app easy to use and pleasant to navigate. And for that, navigation is the key! It is simply the way to move your finger (or your mouse, your keyboard) to move around your website or application. The navigation must also be adapted to different devices: computers, tablets, smartphones (this is among others the responsive). Finally, it must be tested regularly to measure the efficiency and usability of the system.
User research: the quest for relevant information
The search is the essential tool to allow the user to find the information he needs. And for it to work, it must be fast, relevant and reliable. To do this, the search is designed according to the criteria and keywords used by the user. One is even able to understand their spelling mistakes, synonyms and related terms. And above all, we analyze all their navigations and feedbacks to constantly improve the quality of the results.
Content discovery: exploring the unknown
Content discovery is the ability to discover relevant and interesting information without having to search for it explicitly. To make it work, you have to customize it for each user. Their needs and interests are examined with a fine-tooth comb in order to offer them the content that best suits their profile. For its implementation, personalized recommendation techniques are used: à la carte recommendation, semantic classification and data-mining. All this must be tested regularly to measure the impact on user satisfaction. It is also updated with their new interests. Do you want content? We serve it to you on a platter, personalized with love!
The 7 steps to create a solid website architecture
In this article by Nick Babich on the Adobe XD Ideas website, you can find the 7 advanced key points to follow to create an effective information architecture. At the end of the article they also listed some great templates to simplify the creation process, check them out!
1. Frame your approach :
Are you redesigning an existing website or designing something new? The answer to this question will help you prioritize your activities. For the former, you need to invest more time in understanding the business and the needs of your users. For the second one, you need to audit the places where a modification is necessary.
2. Conduct user research to understand users :
Once you’ve identified the right approach, collect data on your site’s users and invest in user research.
3. Identify the company’s objectives:
You’ve identified your users’ needs, now it’s time to find out what your business needs. The goal of information architects is to create a structure that balances the needs of users and the business.
4. Review content :
Now you know what the users and the company want. You can evaluate the content you have based on these goals! At this stage, you need to carry out the content inventory (titles, keywords, descriptions, SEO etc.) and the content audit.
5. Categorize and group content:
You need to classify and categorize all the different types of content. The most popular technique for grouping information is called cardsorting.
6. Navigation Design:
This step involves the design of the navigation, labeling and site map. This will help you understand what options you have and in what order you want to present them to your visitors.
7. Wireframing :
Wireframes are similar to architectural plans. These are low fidelity models that show the structure of a project and the connections between its elements. Wireframes focus on structure, not on visual and emotional perception of details. Keep it simple!
Where to turn?
Creating an effective information architecture can be a complex and time-consuming process. There are information architecture templates you can use to simplify the process. Among the most common are: the hierarchical model, the network model, the mind map model, the table model. Use templates to organize information in a logical and consistent manner, while helping to visualize the overall structure of your site.
However, we recommend that you turn to professionals in web creation and UI/UX design. At Alexem Studio we offer packages tailored to your needs. Take advantage of our skills and services to build a website that reflects your company and your users!
Conclusion
Information architecture is a major issue for companies that want to offer a quality user experience and optimize their digital efficiency. It is often said that a designer is never really finished with his work, and this is especially true for information architecture. It is an organism in perpetual motion and adapts to a constantly changing environment.
It is essential to create a solid foundation for your design and invest in creating a good information architecture and using tools that will allow you to introduce changes without much effort.
