Information architecture (IA) refers to the structure of a website.
This is communicated visually through a sitemap and is a vital part of the web design process; as it ensures that both the business goals and the requirements of the user are met from the outset.
Our IA work involves a number of immersive tools and techniques, allowing you to be fully involved in the process from the outset - with key considerations being, but not limited to:
- Context: is the site completely new or are you working from an existing structure? If the latter, then insights and analytics of the existing website can play a vital role in determining the new IA. Similarly if an entirely new structure is being put in place, then a detailed strategy session may be required to fully explore key pages and audience-types.
- Objectives: what are the key aims and objectives of the site – are you looking to sell a particular product or push a particular service? All of these need to be considered, in order to ensure users are directed to key pages on the site.
- Audience: who are you looking to target? Audience types and age ranges can again play a major role in determining the structure of a website as it may, for instance, need to comprise of multiple user journeys, with each targeted at specific user groups.
- Content: having an idea of the amount and type of content can be heavily beneficial to the planning process, as this allows the IA to be structured around the content, opposed to vice-versa - limiting any potential restructuring further down the line.
- Assembly: once the content has been collected and finalised, the pages can finally be prioritised based on the objectives, audience, and conversion aims of the site – ultimately ensuring that users can reach key pages/actions in as fewer clicks as possible.
For more information, please take a look at our Specialist Aviation Services Website case study.