Imagine you are walking into a shopping mall and discovering that there is no order or rhyme to the layout. There is only one exit and one way in, there are no shortcuts and many dead ends. No guide can be found at the entrance to help shoppers understand it all.

Imagine how a website would look if it was created this way. Visitors will soon lose interest in the site and become confused, stressed, and eventually leave.

Information architecture plays a vital role in website design. 

What’s information architecture?

Information architecture (IA) refers to how information is organized, labeled, and structured to help users achieve their goals. 

Information architecture includes:

• Sitemap organization, design, and labeling
• Relationship of the sitemap to the hierarchy
• Layout for each page’s content
• The flow between pages
• User’s goals and steps to reach them
• Searching for information on the website

AI design uses user research, psychology, and your business’s overall goals as the foundation for your website design.

Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfeld created a simple tool to assist website designers in achieving this balance.

What are some of the benefits of information architecture design?

A user-centric strategy and well-researched strategy can help you build a site that benefits everyone.

Users get a better website experience

Websites are used by people to find what they want. A site that does not follow the principles of information architecture could hinder its ability to achieve its goals.

Websites are built with IA foundations. Instead of making assumptions or biases, you use user data and test results to make decisions. Users are more likely to engage with the site and convert.

This content is more valuable

Information architecture design is essential for content strategy planning:

• For whom is the copy written?
• Which pages are you going to find on this site?
• How pages relate
• How to arrange every page in the most efficient order
• Users need to know where and how they should go from one page to another.

Each piece of website copy must have a purpose. This includes the headline for your homepage’s hero photo and small microcopy pieces scattered around the site. This foundational research will ensure every sentence and word serves its purpose.

Your website will be easier to maintain

Once you have mapped all of the information on your website you will have a clear idea of how to implement it and keep it updated.

Websites need to be updated regularly. A well-organized foundation will make it easy to make website changes quickly and efficiently.

Designing your website with information architecture

No matter how large or small your website is, it will improve the user experience. 

1. Define your website’s goals

Visitors should be able to glance at the navigation quickly and get a sense of your brand. It is crucial to set your goals before you start designing a website.

Let’s assume you have an accounting website. It will increase the likelihood that visitors will be attracted to the information architecture, rather than the primary goal.

It should be simple to reach your website’s goals. It should be easy to navigate, read content, and convert.

2. Do user research

It is important to understand who your customers are and what their problems are. It is important to reach the source.

There are many methods to conduct user research.

Surveys online: You don’t need a lot of time to create surveys. 

Interviews: You can have one-on-one conversations with your users to get feedback.

Focus group: This is an excellent way to gain insights from your users. Focus group: You can get a better understanding of the needs of your users and help you follow up on their topics.

3. Create user personas

Use the user research that you have collected to create a user persona.

The user persona is more than just a description of the person. You can also see a description of the user’s name and face.

If there are multiple users, the user persona or persons you will have is

• Let us know who your real users are
• Give them background
• Please describe what they do for a living
• Create a list of their hobbies
• Define their problems
• Describe their goals for engaging with businesses such as yours
• Provide them with quotes that provide insight into their thinking, behavior, and thoughts.

4. These pages are for you.

Now it’s time to decide how many pages your website should have to help your visitors reach their goals. 

This guideline will help you choose which pages to include on your website.

It is possible to list all pages you want to create. You don’t need to list all pages if you have an eCommerce site that sells many products.

Page descriptions should be brief. You might have to divide the page into multiple pages if it is hard to explain the page’s purpose.

The purpose of a page can be classified. The purpose of a page determines what content it contains and the ultimate goal for the user’s action (such as navigation, education search, and interaction).

A homepage is a navigation page. Visitors can learn more about your brand by visiting the homepage. There are also interaction pages such as checkout and contact.

5. Analyze your pages and organize them

Now it’s time to build relationships between pages and decide how best to organize them. 

This is a great way to connect with your target users in a new and more meaningful way. You can still engage with your target users in this way by running the exercises alone or with a friend.

Card sorting (open).

Participants will receive a stack of cards with topical information. You can do this exercise in person with paper cards or online using a card sorting tool.

Next, ask your participants to arrange their cards most intuitively. Each category will require a label.

If you’re designing a website to promote your business, this technique can be useful. Should it be at the top?

Closed card sorting

This exercise differs from an open-card type in that participants organize topics under predetermined labels.

This is particularly useful for large websites such as eCommerce sites that are involved in media and eCommerce. However, you need to be aware of how product pages should be classified. Where does “Travel accessories”, for example, fit in with “Handbags?” “

Tree testing

Tree testing can be done after card sorting. 

Participants will see a simplified version of your website structure. Participants will create a simplified version of your website structure.

Some might complain that there are too many links in the website menu, or that some labels are confusing. 

6. Finish the sitemap

Now, you’ve started to put together your sitemap. Next, you’ll create a formal sitemap that shows how your menu looks.

It is possible to draw it by hand or to use design software, but consistency is key when creating a sitemap. 

Make a legend before you start to build pages on your sitemap. Use the same shapes and lines as arrows to identify certain content and relationships on your website.

7. User flows and wireframes should be created

Once your navigation is in place, it’s time to think about the architecture of your web pages. Wireframes can also be used to help determine the layouts, patterns, and visual hierarchy rules that will apply to your pages.

You can use wireframes to create a small website. 

This will help you to determine how to structure your web pages. Your website may feel strange, unnatural, or impossible to use.

You should also remember to create user flows using your wireframes. Add interaction points to show how pages are linked within the IA.