Stage 3 · Core · Beginner
Information architecture
Organise content and navigation so people can find what they need.
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About this stage
Information architecture (IA) is the structure underneath an interface: what content exists, how it is grouped, what it is called and how people move between it. When IA is wrong, no amount of visual polish fixes the feeling of being lost.
You will inventory content, run card sorts and tree tests, draw sitemaps and user flows, and learn to name things the way your users do.
Before this stage Stage 2: UX research and problem definition
Learning outcomes
- Run a content inventory and group content using evidence from card sorting.
- Draw a sitemap and a task flow for a small product.
- Choose navigation, search and filtering patterns that fit the content.
- Write clear labels and validate a structure with a tree test.
Lessons
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Organising information
Schemes and structures: alphabetical, topical, task-based and audience-based.
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Content inventories
Listing what exists before deciding how to organise it.
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Card sorting and tree testing
Two methods that show how people expect content to be organised.
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Sitemap creation
Drawing the structure of a site or app.
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Navigation patterns
Top bars, tabs, sidebars, menus and breadcrumbs, and when each fits.
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User flows and task flows
Mapping the steps and decisions in a task.
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Naming and labelling
Using your users' words instead of your organisation's.
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Search and filtering patterns
Helping people narrow down large sets of content.
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Structuring complex products
Roles, permissions, objects and workspaces in larger products.
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Validating information architecture
Testing structure before and after building it.