Information Architecture Styles

There are two main approaches to defining an information architecture. They are:

Top-down information architecture

This involves developing a broad understanding of the business strategies and user needs, before defining the high level structure of site, and finally the detailed relationships between content.

Bottom-up information architecture 

This involves understanding the detailed relationships between content, creating walkthroughs (or storyboards) to show how the system could support specific user requirements and then considering the higher level structure that will be required to support these requirements.

Both of these techniques are important in a project. A project that ignores top-down approach may result in well-organized, findable content that does not meet the needs of users or the business. A project that ignores bottom-up approach may result in a site that allows people to find information but does not allow them the opportunity to explore related content. Take a structured approach to creating an effective information architecture.

The following steps define a process for creating an effective information architecture:

1. Understand the business/contextual requirements and the proposed content for the system. Read all existing documentation, interview stakeholders and conduct a content inventory.
2. Conduct cards sorting exercises with a number of representative users.
3. Evaluate the output of the card sorting exercises. Look for trends in grouping and labeling.
4. Develop a draft information architecture (i.e. information groupings and hierarchy).
5. Evaluate the draft information architecture using the card-based classification evaluation technique.
6. Don’t expect to get the information architecture right first time. Capturing the right terminology and hierarchy may take several iterations.
7. Document the information architecture in a site map. This is not the final site map, the site map will only be finalized after page layouts have been defined.
8. Define a number of common user tasks, such as finding out about how to request holiday leave. On paper sketch page layouts to define how the user will step through the site. This technique is known as storyboarding.
9. Walk other members of the project team through the storyboards and leave them in shared workspaces for comments.
10. If possible within the constraints of the project, it is good to conduct task-based usability tests on paper prototypes as it provides valuable feedback without going to the expense of creating higher quality designs. Create detailed page layouts to support key user tasks. Page layouts should be annotated with guidance for visual designers and developers.

Developing an information architecture in this way enables you to design and build a system confident that it will be successful. It simply isn’t good enough for organizations to build functionality or write content, put it on their computer systems and expect people to be able to find it.

Developing an effective information architecture is an essential step in the development of all computer systems. Effective information architectures enable people to quickly, easily and intuitively find content. This avoids frustration and increases the chance that the user will return to the system the next time they require similar information.

Remember: people can only appreciate what they can actually find.

Information Architecture

Information architecture is defined by the Information Architecture Institute as the art and science of organizing and labeling web sites, intranets, online communities, and software to support findability and usability.

Information architecture is the term used to describe the structure of a system, i.e the way information is grouped, the navigation methods and terminology used within the system. An effective information architecture enables people to step logically through a system confident they are getting closer to the information they require. Information architecture is most commonly associated with websites and intranets, content management systems, but it can be used in the context of any information structures or computer systems.

Information architecture involves the categorization of information into a coherent structure, preferably one that the intended audience can understand quickly, if not inherently, and then easily retrieve the information for which they are searching. The organization structure is usually hierarchical.

Organizing functionality and content into a structure that people are able to navigate intuitively doesn’t happen by chance. Organizations must recognize the importance of information architecture or else they run the risk of creating great content and functionality that no one can ever find. Most people only notice information architecture when it is poor and stops them from finding the information they require.

An effective information architecture comes from understanding business objectives and constraints, the content, and the requirements of the people that will use the site.

Information architecture is often described using the following diagram:

Business/Context 

Understanding an organization's business objectives, politics, culture, technology, resources and constraints is essential before considering development of the information architecture. Techniques for understanding context include:

• reading existing documentation;
• mission statements, organization charts, previous research and vision documents are a quick way of building up an understanding of the context in which the system must work;
• stakeholder interviews;
• speaking to stakeholders provides valuable insight into business context and can unearth previously unknown objectives and issues. 

Content

The most effective method for understanding the quantity and quality of content (i.e. functionality and information) proposed for a system is to conduct a content inventory. Content inventories identify all of the proposed content for a system, where the content currently resides, who owns it and any existing relationships between content. Content inventories are also commonly used to aid the process of migrating content between the old and new systems.

Users 

An effective information architecture must reflect the way people think about the subject matter. Techniques for getting users involved in the creation of an information architecture include card sorting and card-based classification evaluation.

Card sorting involves representative users sorting a series of cards, each labelled with a piece of content or functionality, into groups that make sense to them. Card sorting generates ideas for how information could be grouped and labelled.

Card-based classification evaluation is a technique for testing an information architecture before it has been implemented. The technique involves writing each level of an information architecture on a large card, and developing a set of information-seeking tasks for people to perform using the architecture.

More about information architecture next time...