Information Architecture

From the IT Glossary:

Ways in which information should be treated and organised within onscreen solutions.

This includes the structuring or grouping of sets of information and determining navigation pathways.

Effective and efficient information architecture enables users to intuitively and confidently locate information they require.

This might include:

• the organisation of data in a warehouse database
• good hierarchical directory (folder) structure within a website or intranet
• the organisation of components of an online community site
• effective links between pages within a site
• record structure in a program's random file
• sensible use of worksheets and lookup tables in a spreadsheet