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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
[MUSIC]
0:00
Hey, I'm Dan.
0:09
And in this course we're going to
discuss a concept known as information
0:09
architecture.
0:14
IA, for short,
refers to the way we organize, label, and
0:15
connect the information on a website or
app.
0:20
In other words, it refers to how we
assign categories to our blog posts,
0:23
how we name each section or
0:28
page on our website, how we choose which
links to put in our navigation menus.
0:29
And the options we provide to help
people discover new content and
0:34
use search features,
just to name a few things.
0:38
So if you're a designer or
developer with website and
0:42
app projects of your own,
information architecture is a big concern.
0:45
If you've ever built a website or
app from scratch,
0:50
one of the first things you're gonna ask
is, what's gonna be in the main menu?
0:52
How many choices will there be?
0:57
What are the choices?
0:58
What will they be called?
1:00
And where will they be linked to?
1:01
And in this menu, do we show a text link?
1:03
Do we show an icon?
1:05
Do we show both?
1:07
Providing clear navigation is a big
part of information architecture.
1:09
And it's a huge concern because if users
can't get around easily or they do not
1:13
know where to find things, they're gonna
stop using your site or app very quickly.
1:17
Now if you've built a site
with lots of content,
1:22
you might have struggled with how
everything should be organized.
1:25
Should you use categories?
1:28
And if so, which ones?
1:30
Should there be subcategories too?
1:32
Should you provide filtering, or
1:34
display content based on popularity or
user feedback?
1:36
And even if you perfectly divide your
content into happy little categories and
1:41
determine the best menu to help people
find their way, there's still more to do.
1:46
Today's websites have to do more than
simply organize things in a nice and
1:51
neat manner.
1:55
With all the competition, you've got to
find ways to keep visitors engaged and
1:56
using your site, and make them rely on it.
2:01
So how do you connect everything together?
2:06
Consider how much extra time you
spend on YouTube because of those
2:10
related video list they show,
or on Spotify because it
2:13
shows you a list of similar songs
to the one you're listening to.
2:17
Creating an environment where content can
be found through a logical sequence of
2:21
clicks and
2:25
by revealing related content is what
today's successful websites and apps do.
2:27
So these are the questions
we seek to answer here.
2:33
How can I organize my content in
a logical and an easy to use way?
2:37
How can I properly name categories and
label links within menus
2:42
that connects users to all
the important stuff we provide?
2:47
And how can I create connections between
everything so my users will spend more
2:51
time, consume more content, engage with
us more, and perhaps buy more stuff?
2:56
If you've ever struggled with any of these
questions, then you're in the right place.
3:03
I'm really looking forward to discussing
information architecture with you.
3:07
So I'll see you in the next video.
3:11
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