When it comes to creating a digital product, you need to be able to lay out content in a way that the user understands so they can quickly navigate through your product easily and find what they are looking for. The way to ensure this is done right is called Information Architecture.
What is Information Architecture
Information Architecture (IA) is the process to structure and present content of a product for the user’s benefit. The product could be an app, website or even a blog post (make a note of the order of information that I write in this blog).
Why IA is Important
IA is essential to the overall User Experience. Often overlooked by the user, it is paramount that content is displayed according to the user needs. If IA is overlooked or not commented on by the general user it could mean that they haven’t found any issues and that is a good thing.
Creating Good IA
To create efficient IA that suits the end user, a good strategy to practise would be to think about the user, the content and the context. Using this Venn Diagram, you can determine your users; who they are, their needs, their abilities, what they are looking for, the content; this is the information that the users will be engaging with, finally, the context; this is where the user will engage with the content.
Summary
Overall, it is essential to consider Information Architecture when creating a digital product as you are directly catering the product to your chosen demographic’s needs. I like to think about my user as being someone who is new to technology and isn’t confident finding the right information that they want (like my grandmother), this allows me to really focus on the IA of my designs and developments to ensure the my product provides a smooth experience.
