a fundamental necessity

When designing and building a web interface, it is important to base the model or concept on how a user will seek information and interact with this information. The challenge in IA is to minimize ‘information overload.’ Users are often frustrated due to the following case scenarios:

• Too much information. Short attention span.
• Urgent need for information. No time.

Just like the saying 'necessity is the mother of invention', the IA agenda is fundamentally driven by the need to create a solution for this problem:



Before we begin creating the architecture of a website we need to keep these points in check:

• The entry point of the user is not always the homepage
• Each web page should be able to stand alone and still be referenced
• The aim is to build ‘sticky sites’: engage users and keep them engaged
• The site should be usable, readable as well as visual

information architecture: what is it?

Information Architecture (IA) is a specialized skill set that is focused on the interpretation of information through a model or concept designed to express how complex systems work. These systems include web development, application interface and user interaction for websites, portals, intranets and online communities.

Here is a visual summary:




‘Information architecture’ was coined in 1976 by Richard Saul Wurman, who was an American architect and graphic designer. The term may also relatively pertain to ‘information design’ and ‘web user experience design.’

"I thought the explosion of data needed an architecture, needed a series of systems, needed systemic design, a series of performance criteria to measure it." — Richard Saul Wurman

Though there is not one label or definition for IA, in theory, taking from a holistic point-of-view, it is described as:

• The combination of organization, labeling and navigation schemes within an information system.
• The structural design of an information space to facilitate task completion and intuitive access to content.
• The art and science of structuring and classifying websites to help people find and manage information.