Information architecture is a key phase in all of our projects at Content Formula. Whether website or intranet, we know that if you get the structure, organisation and classification of content right at the start of the project, the end result will be a seamless, usable site.

It always starts with defining both the business and user requirements. It’s important that you define both, because the way the business wants to organise their content is not necessarily going to be how users will search for it. There are numerous ways to gather this information (that’s a whole other blog post!), including interviews, surveys and focus groups. This stage is also often combined with an audit of any current site or content.

But once you know your requirements and you have a handle on the site content, what’s next? You need to use that output to actually define the information architecture. We use some key tools to map out the potential site and its content, usually in the following order:

• Personas
  Personas are created when you have defined user requirements. See my previous blog post about personas here. You’ll need your personas in mind as you develop the next tools.

• Sitemaps
  A sitemap is a visual representation of a site’s structure. Smaller sites can be charted in PowerPoint, where a sitemap can look similar to a flowchart. We chart more complex sites in Excel, as although this is less visual, it’s easier to show the levels of content. Colour coding is used define access levels and the relationships between the pages. Our developers work off the sitemap when it comes to actually building the site and its pages.

• Wireframes
  Wireframes are visual guides to page layouts, using placeholders. We create wireframes in PowerPoint, showing elements such as headers, navigation, search, and key blocks of content. Typically we’ll create wireframes for the homepage and a few interior pages which can be used as templates for the rest of the site pages. Our designers work off the wireframes when they come to creating design proposals.

• Process flowcharts
  For parts of the site where processes are involved – such as approval workflows or order forms – flowcharts are the best way to ensure every step and its subsequent possibilities has been thought out, so your users end up having a smooth experience.

• Content plans
  Content plans identify every piece of content that needs to be created, including priority, who is responsible for it, its status (for instance: not started, in progress, or uploaded), and its relationships to other content.