TL;DR:
If users struggle to find what they need in your app or website, the problem isn’t them, it’s your Information Architecture (IA). Bad IA causes confusion, frustration, and drop-offs. The following walks you through five steps to create navigation where users can find what they are looking for.
What is Information Architecture?
Imagine walking into a grocery store where the cereal is in the produce aisle and milk is nowhere near the dairy section. That’s what bad IA feels like to users.
Information Architecture (IA) is the structure of your app or website. It determines:
- Where content lives - How pages, features, and information are arranged.
- How users find content - Navigation, menus, search functions, and links.
- How content is related - Categories, subcategories, and hierarchies.
A great IA ensures users find what they need fast and can confidently navigate through your product.
Example
Imagine searching for “Return Policy” on a retail site. With good IA, you might expect to find it under Customer Service or Orders. With bad IA, you would be hunting through pages, or giving up altogether.
Why IA Matters
Think of IA like a building’s floor plan, without a clear layout, people get lost. Good IA is would have signage that guides users through your digital “building” with ease.
Why You Should Care
- Prevents user frustration: Bad IA leads to people leaving your product (bounce rates) when users can’t find what they need.
- Improves task completion: Logical structures help users complete tasks faster, like making a purchase or locating information.
- Boosts SEO and accessibility: Organized content is easier for search engines to index and improves usability for all users.
- Speeds up design and development: Clear IA provides a blueprint that guides content placement and UI decisions, reducing rework.
- Aligns team understanding: IA creates a foundation for designers, developers, and stakeholders to collaborate efficiently.
Example
Amazon’s navigation lets users drill down from broad categories ("Electronics") to specifics ("Wireless Headphones"). Without clear IA, shopping would be overwhelming and users would abandon their search.
How to Design a Strong IA
Creating a IA involves auditing content, grouping information, defining navigation, and validating with users. Here’s how to do it:
1. Audit Existing Content – What do you have, and how is it organized?
Like cleaning out a cluttered closet, you need to know what’s inside before reorganizing.
- List all existing pages, screens, and features.
- Identify duplicate, outdated, or irrelevant content.
- Prioritize content based on user needs and business goals.
Tip
Use a content inventory spreadsheet to keep track of everything. Aim for clarity. If you can’t explain why content exists, it’s a candidate for removal.
2. Group Information Logically – What categories make sense?
Imagine organizing a grocery store: group fruits with fruits, dairy with dairy.
- Sort related content into logical categories.
- Use card sorting exercises to see how users naturally group information.
- Name categories in user-friendly terms—avoid internal jargon that might confuse users.
Optional Exercise
Run both open and closed card sorting sessions. In open sorting, users name categories themselves; in closed sorting, you provide the categories to validate assumptions.
3. Define Primary and Secondary Navigation – What’s top-level vs. nested?
Imagine your primary navigation are highway signs guiding you between cities; secondary navigation are local road signs directing you within neighborhoods.
- Identify which content deserves top-level (primary) placement.
- Nest less critical content within secondary menus to avoid clutter.
- Keep top-level navigation concise—5 to 7 items is ideal.
Example
- Primary: Home, Shop, About, Support, Contact
- Secondary under Shop: Electronics, Apparel, Accessories
- Secondary under Support: FAQ, Returns, Live Chat
4. Test with Real Users – Can they find what they need easily?
A map might look good on paper, but you won’t know if it works until someone tries to use it.
- Conduct usability tests focused on navigation and content discovery.
- Use tree testing tools to evaluate IA without visual design distractions.
- Ask could be: "Where would you find shipping information?" or "Find how to cancel an order."
Tip
Look for hesitation, backtracking, or repeated clicks, these are signs your IA needs refinement.
5. Iterate and Refine – Simplify where needed based on feedback
Imagine perfecting a recipe, you will need to tweak ingredients (categories and labels) until the result works for everyone.
- Adjust categories, labels, and hierarchy based on test results.
- Remove unnecessary layers that slow users down.
- Re-test after changes to validate improvements.
IA is not a “set it and forget it” process. Products evolve, and so should your IA.
Final Thoughts
If users are getting lost, the structure is failing them, not the other way around. Clear, well-structured information architecture guides users, improves conversion rates, and saves teams time and money.
Investing in IA early ensures that designers, developers, and stakeholders align, allowing teams to make confident decisions without second-guessing navigation or content placement.
Fix the structure, and you’ll fix the experience.
