Information Architecture, often written as IA, is organization of information into a to make it easier to use. IA gives to information including organization, site and navigation in website redesigns.
The importance of Information Architecture to the ‘s
The term ‘Information Architecture‘ dates from 1975 and is attributed to the American architect Richard Saul Wurman — around the same time, the term ‘internetworking’ was first abbreviated to ‘internet’. Now, more than half a century later, the internet is vast and new is produced at an unimaginable pace.
For people to be able to sift through and all that , there needs to be a logical and to the internet. On a macro level, that includes the structural of the internet such as top-level domains and URLs.
But IA is an important principle on individual websites as well, as it helps to lend logic to the site and navigation, as well as identifying areas where you need to fill in more detail. This leads to better decisions about and , improving your site’s in an informed way.
Information Architecture vs. : What’s the difference?
is not the same as Information Architecture. However, IA can help you to make intelligent decisions about . Good -centered makes it easy for users to find the information they want. That requires a logical framework for your website, good navigation and well-structured .
It can also include technical solutions such as a sitemap that lists all your pages as part of a visual on a single screen. But it also crosses over into the visual of your website’s interface, the use of contrasting colors to make text more visible, and features like making sure navigational links are easy to tap on mobile screens.
Like UX, Information Architecture is as much an art as it is a science. Many of the decisions made about website , site and are highly subjective. This increases the opportunity to improve and using IA, by keeping human users and human in mind as a foundation when organizing your website , framework and .
Benefits of information architecture
Information Architecture should make the information you provide to your users easier to digest. It can also help you to your website and identify areas where you can add more useful for the benefit of your end-users and to boost your SEO.
IA has applications across the remit of sales and marketing:
- Sensible site helps to make your website navigation more intuitive.
- Logical organization inspires intelligent website redesigns.
- Better increases retention and conversions.
Good online marketing starts from the first wireframe stage of website redesigns. IA helps you to make smarter choices about features including your page layout, navigation and site , ultimately driving visitors more effectively along your sales funnel toward conversion.
When your website framework, remember timeframe as well as wireframe — pages should be laid out in a way that gives end-users time to the information on the page. This helps to avoid overwhelming your website visitors and direct the customer journey comfortably along your conversion paths.
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