Design
Information Architecture In UX Design.
Information Architecture is very vital when creating a good user experience, it is the structuring and organization of information in a digital space. Information architecture is very important as it ensures the products we build are easy to navigate and easy to use while also passing relevant information to the user.
What is information Architecture?
Information architecture is basically organizing and structuring information of a product in a very clear manner to it’s users with the aim of making the product easy to find, use and understand. Information architecture connects three elements which are:
User
Content
Context
Below are a few explanations of how these elements work hand in hand in delivering a good user experience.
USER:
It is very important to focus on the users of the product you are designing the product for. The user’s MENTAL MODEL is a very important thing to mention as it describes how the user’s think and work. It is very important as a user experience designer to understand a user’s mental model. It helps to process information for the product you are building. A general example is an e-commerce product where the user knows he has to add to cart or save items he likes so that he can come back to look at them.
CONTENT:
It is also important to focus on the contents that your users see as it has to be relevant to them and not otherwise. COGNITIVE LOAD is the amount of information that working memory can hold at one time. In a scenario where there is too much information, it results to cognitive overload. Cognitive overload can be avoided by clarifying proper information on the products you are building. Visual hierarchy is a method of clarity in the content element and this is basically the arrangement of information or visual elements in your product to your users.
CONTEXT:
Where the information lies in your product and how to find it is very important to your users. Context is also a very important aspect to focus on as it deals with circumstances in which information is used, and accessed by the users of products. Great products for your users with optimal user experience can be designed and achieved when these three elements are being considered.
A good information architecture would create designs that are user-friendly and effective, and navigation of the designed product would be very easy to achieve. Users are able to find information they need, understand how it was organized and navigate the product effectively. This promotes consistency across your product, making it easier for users to understand how different pieces of information relate to one another.
Thank you for reading my article on medium. I hope this article has helped you understand why Information Architecture is really important when building a product and how it saves both designers and users from havoc.
👏🏻 Clap if you enjoyed the article.
You can also reach out to me on Behance and LinkedIn.
See you in the next article 👋🏻
