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In this video, we will define the concept of information architecture and explore its benefits for websites and users.
New Terms:
Information Architecture (IA) -- the way we organize, label, and connect the information on a website or app
Website examples:
YouTube: http://youtube.com
Spotify app: https://www.spotify.com/us/
Further Reading:
Usability.gov: Information Architecture Basics
Nielson Norman Group: The Difference Between Information Architecture (IA) and Navigation, by Jen Cardello
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[MUSIC]
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Hey, I'm Dan.
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And in this course we're going to discuss a concept known as information
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architecture.
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IA, for short, refers to the way we organize, label, and
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connect the information on a website or app.
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In other words, it refers to how we assign categories to our blog posts,
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how we name each section or
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page on our website, how we choose which links to put in our navigation menus.
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And the options we provide to help people discover new content and
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use search features, just to name a few things.
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So if you're a designer or developer with website and
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app projects of your own, information architecture is a big concern.
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If you've ever built a website or app from scratch,
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one of the first things you're gonna ask is, what's gonna be in the main menu?
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How many choices will there be?
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What are the choices?
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What will they be called?
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And where will they be linked to?
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And in this menu, do we show a text link?
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Do we show an icon?
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Do we show both?
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Providing clear navigation is a big part of information architecture.
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And it's a huge concern because if users can't get around easily or they do not
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know where to find things, they're gonna stop using your site or app very quickly.
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Now if you've built a site with lots of content,
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you might have struggled with how everything should be organized.
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Should you use categories?
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And if so, which ones?
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Should there be subcategories too?
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Should you provide filtering, or
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display content based on popularity or user feedback?
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And even if you perfectly divide your content into happy little categories and
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determine the best menu to help people find their way, there's still more to do.
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Today's websites have to do more than simply organize things in a nice and
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neat manner.
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With all the competition, you've got to find ways to keep visitors engaged and
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using your site, and make them rely on it.
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So how do you connect everything together?
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Consider how much extra time you spend on YouTube because of those
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related video list they show, or on Spotify because it
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shows you a list of similar songs to the one you're listening to.
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Creating an environment where content can be found through a logical sequence of
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clicks and
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by revealing related content is what today's successful websites and apps do.
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So these are the questions we seek to answer here.
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How can I organize my content in a logical and an easy to use way?
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How can I properly name categories and label links within menus
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that connects users to all the important stuff we provide?
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And how can I create connections between everything so my users will spend more
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time, consume more content, engage with us more, and perhaps buy more stuff?
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If you've ever struggled with any of these questions, then you're in the right place.
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I'm really looking forward to discussing information architecture with you.
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So I'll see you in the next video.
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