User experience (UX) is an integral part of creating software that people will use and enjoy for extended periods of time. Creating software with engaging user experiences has become increasingly important as technology has proliferated and users have higher expectations than ever before.

User experience encompasses more than just how your app looks, it also includes the way it feels when used, its navigation, its typography, its tone, and many other components. These parts work together to create an overall feeling that people will want to use the app out of convenience.

It’s hard to have strong UX without first having a good understanding of information architecture (IA). That’s why we are going to take a look at IA in depth here today! So let’s get started by looking at what IA is and some examples of applications with poor IAs.

What Is Information Architecting?

Information architect (or IA) is someone who designs systems and services within a given context or environment. They do this by gathering input from others in their field, analyzing past successes and failures, and then incorporating those lessons into new ideas or concepts.

In business environments, the context can be internal departments such as marketing or human resources, external partners like vendors or customers, or even the broader community. In educational settings, the context could be teachers or students.

Make a quick list of topics

The next step in creating an information architecture framework is to make a short, easy-to-reference list of topic categories. This way you can refer back to your list at any time for quick notes or updates!

Topic lists are very important when it comes to information architecture because they help organize all of the different parts of your site.

Your users will definitely appreciate having a place to look that tells them what each part of your website covers!

It also helps with user experience (UX) — making it easier for people to find their favorite features and navigate around your site.

To create our first category, we’ll use another tool called Tag Box which allows you to create and edit free HTML tags.

By using this tool, you get the ability to add many different content types such as headers, dividers, bullets and so on.

For this exercise, I’m going to add a new tag titled “About Us.” When adding this tag, under the Settings tab, choose Category from the Default Input Method field.

That way, whenever someone adds this tag via link or indent, it will automatically be categorized into the ‘Category’ section.

Brainstorm different page elements

While creating an intuitive user experience (UX) for your website or app, one of the first things you should do is brainstorm all of the possible page elements that could be included in the interface.

This way, you can avoid making any assumptions about what content users would like to see or need from the site. By leaving this step until later, you give yourself more freedom to include everything really!

By doing this early on, you’ll also have time to work out how to best organize all these components. For example, it might be better to not display every item in the menu, instead letting users find something they want by exploring the site.

You get to decide which pages make up the UX at this stage too — if a certain element is needed then leave it in, otherwise think again! This will only hurt the overall experience.

Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to start designing the pages.

Narrow down your list of topics and page elements

The next step in creating an information architecture framework is defining your topic levels and which pages go into what categories. This is typically done through editing and re-organizing the website or platform’s navigation bar, fonts, colors, and overall layout.

As you can probably tell, I really love color! As such, every element on my websites has at least one unique color scheme that I use to match up with the rest of the components. For example, my main domain logo uses shades of blue and green, my header uses red and black, etc.

Another way to organize content is by using “tagging”. A tagging system creates a category for each piece of content – like how most social media sites have it where people create groups and other users join them by sharing their interest.

This article will talk about some easy ways to organize your site and give you some tips and tricks on making yours more effective. But first, let’s take a look at some examples of good IA.

Outline the pages

The next step in creating your user experience (UX) framework is outlining the different page types that make up your site. This includes listing specific steps for each type of page, as well as defining what kind of content goes with which page.

Pages such as about us, contact, services, etc. all have their own unique functions so they require their own individual content and design. These pages also require separate links to connect to other parts of the website, making them link-worthy.

Information architecture or IA is defined as “the arrangement and organization of information given opportunities to use it”. With this definition in mind, you can start organizing the various pages into an intuitive structure that communicates how users should navigate through your site.

Here are some tips to help you create good IA:

Use color schemes and fonts that are easy to recognize. Make sure everything from the layout to the typography has an element that stands out.

Include supporting details like images and explanatory text. People will be looking at the main picture or heading, then moving onto the next one. Add enough detail so they do not feel lost!

Avoid using too many styles or patterns. Having lots of textures and colors may look appealing, but will distract people from focusing on the actual content.

We would love to know more ways you keep UX in check here! Comment below or tweet me @maggiemayling.

Create the website

The second part of information architecture is creating your site! This includes choosing your domain, picking a platform for you website, and then designing your home or landing page.

After that, it’s important to pick your style. User experience (UX) styles are very popular these days. They are focused more on how well users can interact with and navigate through your product and not necessarily on what decorations or colors they see.

Overall, UX designs make use of white space, simple fonts, and easy to read type. It is also important to be careful about using too much text; people become immune to it so only include enough content to keep them engaged.

You should also consider whether or not to have an interactive element such as a slider, chat box, or drop down menu. All of these break up the monotony of just reading material and give people additional ways to contact you or find something helpful.

Information architecture isn’t just about giving someone else a good time, it is also about helping them accomplish their goals by establishing clear pathways and understanding where things are located.

Work on the theme

The second way to create information architecture-level experiences is by working on the them, or underlying theme that ties everything together. This is arguably one of the most important things you can do as an IA professional because your themes determine how well people understand their interactions with your site or app.

Themes tell users what they should be looking for on your site or app. They also help set expectations about what actions your site or app will let users take.

For example, if your theme is sports then users may expect to see pictures and articles about the latest football games or tips on how to predict the next game outcome.

If students are using your site or app for education purposes, then there should be separate tabs for courses, assignments, and other student materials. If you don’t know what these items are, then your theme isn’t telling anyone!

Information architectures work best when they are in place to promote understanding and use of your sites or apps. — Jonathon Looney, “How To Become An IAT (Influence Architects Talent)”

Take a look at some of the top websites out there today. Some of them feature very specific themes that match their area extremely well. For instance, YouTube is known for its vibrant color palette and media collection, so it fits the theme of video content really well.

Other sites have much more abstract themes that rely heavily on white space and simplicity.

Finish the website

After you have done all of your site design, including the homepage, it is time to finish the site! This means finalizing the domain name, picking an analytics software package, and linking your social media accounts.

Making sure that your web server is able to handle traffic for your site will depend heavily on your hosting service. You want to be certain they offer enough bandwidth so users can visit the site easily.

Your hosting company should also be able to help guide you through the settings for your WordPress installation. They should at least be familiar with PHP which is the programming language used to create websites using a CMS like WordPress.

You don’t want to start working on the site only to find out there was a problem because you didn’t know how to configure things properly.

Test your website

It is very important to test your site to see how well it works for you and your users. Is everything where it should be? Are all of the elements easy to access and understand?

You can do this by yourself or through someone who will give you their honest opinion. If you are ever feeling overwhelmed, there are many websites out there that offer free tests so that you can get an idea of what they look like and if they work for you.

There are several ways to determine whether your website’s interface (the way it looks and functions) is intuitive and clear.