Information architecture
Information architecture is the structural design of shared information environments, in particular the organisation of websites and software to support usability and findability.
The term information architecture was coined by Richard Saul Wurman. Since its inception, information architecture has become an emerging community of practice focused on applying principles of design, architecture and information science in digital spaces.
Typically, a model or concept of information is used and applied to activities which require explicit details of complex information systems. These activities include library systems and database development.
Definition
The term information architecture has different meanings in different branches of information systems or information technology.User experience
In user experience design, information architecture has been described as the structural design of shared information environments, comprising the study and practice of organising and labelling web sites, intranets, online communities, and software to support user experience, in particular, the findability and usability of information. It has also been described as an emerging community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.Information systems
Technically speaking, information architecture comprises the combination of organization, labeling, search and navigation systems within websites and intranets, serving as a navigational aid to the content of information-rich systems.Data architecture
Information architecture can be described as a subset of data architecture where usable data is constructed, designed, and arranged in a fashion most useful to the users of data.Systems design
In the field of systems design, for example, information architecture is a component of enterprise architecture that deals with the information component when describing the structure of an enterprise. Some system design practitioners regard information architecture as strictly the application of information science to web design, which considers such issues as classification and information retrieval, and not factors like user experience and information design.Principles
Principles of information architecture include the following:- The principle of objects
- The principle of choices
- The principle of disclosure
- The principle of exemplars
- The principle of front doors
- The principle of multiple classification
- The principle of focused navigation
- The principle of growth
History
Richard Saul Wurman is credited with coining the term information architecture in relation to the design of information.From 1998 to 2015, Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfeld were co-authors of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web.
Other authors include Jesse James Garrett and Christina Wodtke.