Information architecture (IA) is the art of arranging the content of a website. Conveying information through a website is a very tedious task, and you need to make sure that you follow certain protocols to ensure findability and usability. Information architecture is a series of steps that lays out all the visual elements of a website, such as its hierarchy, functionality, navigation, and interaction in the form of a blueprint. IA is a very important part of UX design as it defines which path a user needs to take if he wants to perform a specific function or retrieve some information.
How to Drive an Effective Information Architecture Campaign for UX
Just like a strong foundation is a key element in the structure of a building, an effective information architecture campaign is the stepping stone, which leads to an overall user-friendly website. Even the experts at Adobe mention “good IA design helps streamline the product design process.” On top of knowing all the components relating to the information architecture UX of the website, here are some pointers that you need to keep in mind.
? Find out User’s Goals
The very first thing that you need to keep in mind is the type of traffic which will visit your website. So, you engage in a conversation with some probable user type and create different scenarios to optimize the website.
? Define Company Goals
Your next step should be to get an idea of what your company wants to achieve with a website. You can set up a meeting with your executives and find out the answers to these questions.
? Examine Your Competitors
By studying how your competitors dealt with problems relating to designing information architecture for user experience, you can get an idea of how you can solve them.
? Usability Testing
After you are done with executing the information architecture for UX, you should set up a testing environment by hiring end users. By letting these testers browse every nook and corner of the website and listening to their opinions, you will get an idea about how to increase your site’s quality.
What Value does Information Architecture Provide?
In the past, websites used to get away with low-quality content, but recently these websites are being blocked by Facebook and Google. So, it is important that you design your website in a way that the content provides value and is easily browseable. It is important that when you are planning the information architecture of the website, you keep the following things in mind.
? Value for Users
Every information architecture project must aim to provide the users with something that they need. And on top of that, every bit of information should be represented in a way that attracts users and keeps them engaged.
? Value for Business
Where most businesses are only concerned with the results of each campaign and think about the bigger picture, a UX designer must address all the problems of the website and provide solutions to problems that these businessmen still haven’t identified. You need to design a website where customers can easily find products, employees can easily obtain information, and create a UX, which attracts lots of people to a website.
