Information architecture is the organization of informational elements to produce an optimal human-to-digital product interaction. Learn how to apply the basic principles to create a logical and user-friendly sitemap.
What belongs in the main menu? How do you decide what pages go under the main menu items–and in what order? Information architecture—or IA—is the foundation for creating an intuitive, user-friendly website.
Learning the basic principles of information architecture will help inform your site’s:
- Organization: How you categorize and structure information
- Labeling and categorization: How you represent information
- Navigation: How users move through information on your site
How to prepare
While the Basic Principles of Information Architecture can be a helpful standalone resource, we encourage you to review our How to Conduct a Content Audit and Web Writing Best Practices materials first. These two resources will help you establish important sitemapping criteria, including:
- Project goals, needs, and constraints
- State of the current site in assessing the existing structure, content types as well as gaps and opportunities
- User priorities such as informational needs, goals, and tasks