Skip to content
Design Academy My progress

Stage 3 · Core · Beginner

Information architecture

Organise content and navigation so people can find what they need.

  • 10 lessons
  • about 5 h 25 min of reading and practice
  • in writing

Nothing to track yet. Lessons appear here as they are written.

About this stage

Information architecture (IA) is the structure underneath an interface: what content exists, how it is grouped, what it is called and how people move between it. When IA is wrong, no amount of visual polish fixes the feeling of being lost.

You will inventory content, run card sorts and tree tests, draw sitemaps and user flows, and learn to name things the way your users do.

Before this stage Stage 2: UX research and problem definition

Learning outcomes

  • Run a content inventory and group content using evidence from card sorting.
  • Draw a sitemap and a task flow for a small product.
  • Choose navigation, search and filtering patterns that fit the content.
  • Write clear labels and validate a structure with a tree test.

Lessons

The lessons in this stage are being written. Lessons marked “In writing” are listed so you can see the full scope; they are never counted towards your progress. The resource library and glossary cover these topics in the meantime.

  1. Organising information In writing

    Schemes and structures: alphabetical, topical, task-based and audience-based.

    In writing 30 min

  2. Content inventories In writing

    Listing what exists before deciding how to organise it.

    In writing 30 min

  3. Card sorting and tree testing In writing

    Two methods that show how people expect content to be organised.

    In writing 40 min

  4. Sitemap creation In writing

    Drawing the structure of a site or app.

    In writing 30 min

  5. Navigation patterns In writing

    Top bars, tabs, sidebars, menus and breadcrumbs, and when each fits.

    In writing 35 min

  6. User flows and task flows In writing

    Mapping the steps and decisions in a task.

    In writing 35 min

  7. Naming and labelling In writing

    Using your users' words instead of your organisation's.

    In writing 25 min

  8. Search and filtering patterns In writing

    Helping people narrow down large sets of content.

    In writing 35 min

  9. Structuring complex products In writing

    Roles, permissions, objects and workspaces in larger products.

    In writing 35 min

  10. Validating information architecture In writing

    Testing structure before and after building it.

    In writing 30 min