Why IA?

As information proliferates exponentially, usability is becoming the critical success factor for websites and software applications. Good IA lays the necessary groundwork for an information system that makes sense to users.

Today, every business has an information problem. Whether an organization is wrestling with how to handle myriad legacy data, or how to create taxonomies within a new product, information architecture is an important part of the solution. Some organizations have clearly defined positions for Information Architects, who play leading roles in development processes for everything from file systems to product architecture. Other organizations have no formalized positions, but count IA as a critical competency for many, such as internet strategists, interaction designers, and knowledge architects. In both types of organizations, best practices in information architecture support the development of interfaces that facilitate the flow of useful and relevant information to the user.

Your organization needs information architecture when:

  • Business objectives dictate designing or significantly redesigning a user interface or website
  • Inaccessibility of information to your customers and employees is increasing costs, including to your call center and help desk
  • Knowledge management initiatives are migrating information from desktops to a central file system or intranet.


Here's how we can help:

The Information Architecture Institute website has a number of useful resources:

Getting started: sources available in the IA Library

  • Introduction to Information Architecture
  • Information Architecture Tutorial
  • Information Architecture Glossary
  • The Elements of User Experience
  • What an Information Architect Does

There is enormous satisfaction to be gained just from participating in a community. We would love your voice to be added to ours.

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This page was last modified on April 18, 2013 03:45 PM.