One of the most important aspects to designing a website is the information architecture. A flashy/eye catching website can still displease the user if it is difficult to navigate. Website navigation may by the most important aspect to consider when creating a website. When a company creates a website they are able to have their company information accessed by almost anyone. It is in the best interest of the company to make this information easily attainable to the end user.
According to Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville “Information architecture involves the design of organization, labeling, navigation, and searching systems to help people find and manage information more successfully.”
Companies that focus on the website’s information architecture are more successful in delivering important information to users. This is the case because end users typically don’t like to “think” about looking for information. End users would rather go to the site and have the information presented to them. The process of designing a website’s information architecture can be a very time consuming and costly one.
There are four typical outputs associated with information architecture. Site maps, Information flows, User site paths, and Wireframes or site schematics. All four of these outputs valuable to the success of the information architecture of a website, however, I believe that the site map is the most important. An effective sitemap allows the user to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Finding the sitemap should not be a difficult task either; there should be a link to the sitemap located above the fold of the webpage.
I believe by focusing on the information architecture of the website more and more companies will come to realize that in order for information to be found, it must be put in the right place.
