Information Architecture

In the context of web site design, information architecture describes the overall conceptual models and general designs used to plan, structure, and assemble a site. Every web site has an information architecture, but information architecture techniques are particularly important to large, complex web sites, where the primary aims are to:

Organize the site content into taxonomies and hierarchies of information;
Communicate conceptual overviews and the overall site organization to the design team and clients;
Research and design the core site navigation concepts;
Set standards and specifications for the handling of html semantic markup, and the format and handling of text content; and
Design and implement search optimization standards and strategies.

There are five basic steps in organizing your information:

Inventory your content: What do you have already? What do you need?
Establish a hierarchical outline of your content and create a controlled vocabulary so the major content, site structure, and navigation elements are always identified consistently;
Chunking: Divide your content into logical units with a consistent modular structure;
Draw diagrams that show the site structure and rough outlines of pages with a list of core navigation links; and
Analyze your system by testing the organization interactively with real users; revise as needed.

Choosing the right site structure for your site depends greatly on your audience and the content being presented.

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