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 What is Information Architecture (IA)?In a nutshell, it is a methodology that takes marketing objectives, human behavorial principles, organizational schemas, graphics, content, data, navigation, terminology and metadata, labeling and ID, search parameters, and interconnects these individual systems into one, cohesive single a. Effective IA must reflect the way people think Well-planned information architecture has never been as essential as it is now.Today's websites have moved beyond being simple mirrors of printed sales brochures and catalogs. Vast amounts of information, changing strategies, new technologies, and sometimes multiple objectives make some websites look like poorly planned communities with roads and tangents going off every which way, making them all but impossible to navigate. Websites are now larger, more complex, and have great strategic value to their sponsors; their audiences are busier, more web-savvy, and less-forgiving of burdensome websites. It is imperative that business' avoid disastrous pitfalls, and build websites that work from the moment they launch! Intuitive navigation is one of the key elements in creating an easy-to-use website that is appealing to users, scalable, and simple to maintain.Working in conjunction with our CyberSite.net WebPros, we focus on the framework that holds a website together: data and information architecture based on best practices web usability logic. We make sure that the site is organized in such a manner that your audience connects to it immediately to get the information they need. Want to design a unique, innovate cohesive website that works?Most web development companies focus on the technical issues of a site; most web design firms only focus on the visual, or graphic elements of a site. That's what makes our services unique... we combine the best of both sides so our clients receive a website that achieves innovative design solutions combined with expert technological solutions that create the ultimate in website usability and user experience! We focus on the framework that holds the two together, and in order to quickly convey the organization of information, we jointly develop layouts to visually demonstrate information priorities, basic site and page layouts, and navigational structure. What does the Architecture layout look like?Basically, it is similar to looking at a plan blueprint while building a house. The layouts are generally in black and white, and contain very little, if any, of the graphic design or content elements. The layout will show the general placement of website elements, usually including your main navigationals, image areas, menus, content areas, product catalog format, shopping cart structure, et al. We do it this way so we're not distracted by pretty pictures and exciting copy... we can zero in and focus on the actual usability of the site and fine tune the site in its most simple form, which saves an enormous amount of time and cost when developing even the smallest website. We do architecture layouts BEFORE we even begin to create the web graphic design, content, programming, and database development. There are 11 steps to creating effective Information Architecture.Organizing functionality and content into a structure that people are able to navigate intuitively doesn’t happen by chance. To find out more... request our "11 Steps to Perfect IA Worksheet". After the strategic plan, IA is the single most important element driving website success.Are you ready to build a website that works? Request a proposal today! Don't have a marketing strategy yet? Request our Marketing Worksheet, too! |
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Curious about Informational Architecture organization? Here are just a few of the ways you can use IA to structure your website: • Topic/subject • Task • Format (content-type) • Audience • Alphabetical • Time [including event calendars] • Geography • Behavorial, Product, Capabilities Attributes, et al • Tags • Popularity • Combination schemas |
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