Information Architecture (IA) Fundamentals

Without good, relevant content, there’s no compelling reason for anyone to visit or use the site or app; without clear, understandable structure, no one can find anything. How pages or screens are divided and categorized is a direct result of Information Architecture (IA). What shows up in your navigation menus and interactive controls is a result of IA. The information on a single screen and how people move through it — and what’s connected to it — is the result of IA.

Your physical body can’t perform any task without the bones under your muscles and skin, which are designed to support those actions. In the same way, a site, app or system can’t deliver anything to anyone unless its bone structure — it’s Information Architecture — is specifically designed to support those tasks.

Information Architecture Fundamentals walks you through everything you need to know — from determining what content should be presented to what it’s called to how it’s organized and what format it’s delivered in. Taken from Joe Natoli's popular UX & Web Design Master Course taken by more than 7,000 students, these laser-focused lessons will show you how to:

• Develop an IA that clearly illustrates the depth of content, its organization and priority.
• Label and organize content in a way that makes sense to users.
• Rules and methods for organizing the content and flow of a website, app or system.
• Identify and diagram the content workflows critical to your product’s success.
• Work with clients or stakeholders to find out how content should be edited, approved and published.
• Extend an IA to the logical structures and naming conventions of the code files that make the product reality.
• Make sure your content — and its organization — is relevant, appropriate and useful.
• The five core types of IA models, and when to use each type.
• Five ways to organize and categorize content types that always apply, no matter what you’re creating.
• The best way to test and validate your IA with clients, stakeholders and users.
• How to use IA work to develop primary, secondary, global and local navigation.
• How to determine key navigation paths and test their appropriateness
• My tips for rock-solid IA, based on nearly three decades working with some of the biggest brands in the world.