Step 3: Organize information
With a solid understanding of the user tasks and entities, you can start organizing the information architecture of the interface. This involves structuring the content, defining navigation patterns, and prioritizing information.
Key considerations
Define the high-level categories and sections of the interface
What are the main content areas or features of the interface? Example: In an e-commerce site, high-level categories might include Home, Products, Cart, and Account.
How can these categories be grouped or clustered logically? Example: Products can be further grouped into subcategories like Electronics, Clothing, and Home Goods.
Determine the relationships and hierarchies between content areas
What is the hierarchy of importance for the content areas? Example: The Products category is likely more important than the About Us section.
Are there any one-to-many, many-to-many, or many-to-one relationships between entities? Example: One Product can belong to many Categories (one-to-many), and many Customers can have many Orders (many-to-many).
Identify the primary and secondary navigation patterns
What is the main navigation menu structure? Example: The primary navigation might include links to Home, Products, Cart, and Account.
Are there any contextual or in-page navigation elements needed? Example: Within the Products category, there might be a secondary navigation for filtering by price, brand, or other attributes.
Prioritize the most important content and actions for users
What information and actions are critical for users to complete their tasks? Example: Product details, pricing, and "Add to Cart" buttons should be prioritized on product pages.
How can the visual hierarchy and layout guide users to these key areas? Example: Use prominent positioning, larger text sizes, and contrasting colors to draw attention to high-priority content.
Best practices
Use card sorting or tree testing to validate information architecture
Example
Conduct a card sorting exercise with users to understand how they would naturally group and categorize the content.
Follow established conventions for navigation and content organization
Example
Place the main navigation menu at the top of the page and use common labels like "Home" and "Contact" to meet user expectations.
Provide clear labels and signposts to orient users within the interface
Example
Use breadcrumb navigation to show the user's current location within the site hierarchy, such as "Home > Products > Electronics".