Information Architecture (IA) offers a representation of the entire software system or application. It focuses on organising and categorising content and data in a way that makes it easy for users to find and understand. Key aspects of IA include navigation design, content organisation and taxonomy development.
Components of an IA
The information architecture can be divided into four components
- Organisation systems
- Deals with how the site presents information: overall structure and layout of the User Interface (UI).
- Organisation schemes and structure: Organisation scheme (e.g. hierarchical, sequential, alphabetical), structural (e.g. menus, categories, sections) that used to categorise content on the site.
- Labelling systems
- Deals with how the site presents information: Labelling systems involve the words or phase used to describe and identify different elements of the site, such as navigation links, buttons, categories, and sections.
- Navigation systems
- Helps users move through the content: Navigation systems provide users with a way to move through the site and access different pages or sections. This includes navigation menus, links, buttons, and other elements that facilitate the movement within the site.
- Search systems
- Allow users to search the content: Search systems enable users to search for specific content or information within the site. This includes search bars, filters, and advanced search functionality.
Present the IA of a website
Sitemap
Sitemap shows relationships between information elements such as pages. It is used to portray organisation, navigation and labelling systems.
Wireframe
Wireframe depict how an individual page or template should look in a “skeleton” view. It describes the content and IA to be included on the relatively confined 2-dimensional space.
Organisation schemes and structures
Organisation schemes and structures refer to the ways in which information is arranged and structured within a system. The organisation schemes and structures are determined once the card sorting process is finished.
Back to parent page: Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
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