Information architecture (IA) is the system and structure you use to organize and label content on your website, app or product. It determines the paths people take to find the information they need, and where they might get lost, and it’s the foundation on top of which you provide the design. This means that while users will never see this underlying structure on it’s own, they will feel the effects of the decisions you make here.
IA isn’t actually any one thing, it’s made up of multiple smaller parts including:
The overall goal of an IA should be to help people find the information they’re looking for – whether that’s on a website or mobile app, or in physical spaces like libraries and stores.
Understandably, there’s a lot that goes into developing an IA. Here, we’ll give a high-level overview of the process of developing an IA and how you can test and evaluate one.