What is information architecture?
Information Architecture, or IA for short, is the process of making "blueprints" for a website. It answers questions like:
- What pages do we need for the website?
- What goes on those pages?
- How do people get from one page to another?
Do you really need information architecture for a website?
It depends on the size of the website. Using a construction metaphor, imagine two examples: a dog house and a skyscraper. You could probably build a dog house without blueprints. It might not be the best dog house in the world, but it would still work well as a dog house. Likewise, you could build a small website—roughly 1 to 10 pages—without a blueprint. The results wouldn’t be great, but you could do it.
On the other hand, it would be impossible to build a skyscraper without blueprints. Likewise, large websites require a sold information architecture to ensure content and features are mapped out properly.
Is information architecture difficult?
Not really, although like most things in life, experience and knowledge go a long way. To continue our blueprint metaphor: it does not take a lot of experience to sketch out a basic floor plan on a napkin. However, it takes some training to know where load-bearing walls need to go, how and where to put electrical and plumbing, etc. The same is true for IA when determining where integration points for software and hardware need to occur.
How does information architecture drive results?
Information architecture reduces costs, and makes the final website easier to use. It reduces costs by laying out a clear road map for a website: designers, programmers, and content creators can use the information architecture to guide their work. This helps everyone in sync, reducing confusion and errors.
Information architecture makes the final site easier to use by solving usability issues before they happen. By working through all the details on paper, the final site will work better for more users.
