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In order to create a hierarchy, the IA needs to consider what the user expects to see (based on user research) as well as how the business wants to show the information (based on project requirements). The first defines the structure of content, while the second defines how users will move through it. Hierarchy and navigation are two essential components that play into IA. For example, you should label a page that contains information about a company “About” rather than “General Information”, which might be too vague for users to understand. UX writing is an integral part of IA design, because the specific labels help users discover the information. This will help them organize the information in a way that meets the user’s needs.Įxample of a product taxonomy. Through research, information architects can learn how the target audience thinks when they search for information. Researching what users need and want is critical for creating an effective IA design. Great product design starts with great user research. Here are a few common activities that a UX architect may play a role in. The more content a product has, the more significant the role of IA in the UX design process. Information architects spend their time structuring content so it’s easy for users to find what they are looking for. As a rule of thumb, the range of options or choices should never be more than seven. Our short-term memory (also known as working memory) cannot retain much information, so it’s easy to overwhelm users when the system provides too much information or too many options at a given moment. In the context of information architecture design, cognitive load is the amount of information that a user can process at any given moment. Cognitive loadĬognitive load is the amount of brainpower that a user has to invest in interacting with a product.
#Define architect how to#
A UX architect uses the principles to decide how to present and organize the information on a page.Īn illustration of how mental models work. All of these can influence how designers should organize graphical information on the screen. Gestalt principles explore users’ visual perception of objects in relation to each other, including similarity, continuity, proximity, symmetry, and closure. Here are a few key elements of cognitive psychology that are the most valuable for IA design: Gestalt principles Information architects rely on cognitive psychology to organize information within their products. While IA has roots in various fields, cognitive psychology is one of the most important, because this discipline defines the way we structure information.Ĭognitive psychology is the study of how the human mind works, including the mental activities that take place in the brain and the different factors that influence human perception. Cognitive psychology is a foundation of IA
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Information architecture is the foundation for efficient product design.