---
title: "What does ideal UX information architecture look like? A checklist to download"
url: "https://wzor.biz/en/blog/architektura-informacji-ux/"
description: "Ideal UX information architecture is the kind you don't notice. We show how to design it step by step, with a checklist to download."
lang: "en"
---
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# What does ideal UX information architecture look like? A checklist to download

 [![](https://wzor.biz/_astro/aleksandra-bondar.Bn8yt1m6_Z1D1LLg.webp) Aleksandra Bondar Senior UX/UI Designer](https://wzor.biz/en/team-and-partners/aleksandra-bondar/)

Published 12 August 2023 7 min read

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Ideal UX information architecture is the kind you don’t see. When something works correctly and intuitively, we simply don’t notice it. That’s exactly the point of creating information architecture - it should be refined enough that the user effortlessly achieves the goal they came to your site for, or launched your app for. Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you, because there is no universal architecture template that works for every digital product. There is, however, a checklist that will let you create your own information architecture, ideal specifically for your site, service, e-store or app.

## UX information architecture - what is it?

**Information architecture (IA)** is to a website what reinforcement is to a bridge. The creator knows exactly that they applied it and thereby powerfully strengthened their work, while the people using the bridge will only see the reinforcement once it starts to crumble.

**Architecture is the organisation, the structuring of content** - not just text, but also video materials, images, downloadable files and so on. By creating IA we are, in fact, planning how to arrange the individual parts of our digital product so that it is maximally understandable to the user. It’s **the skeleton of the entire project**, a map of the connections between individual pieces of content. Thanks to it we can soundly plan the flows - that is, ensure that audiences move between screens without problems or much effort.

![Adobestock 98670537 1024x1024 1 | wzór ux agency | what does ideal ux information architecture look like? a checklist to download |](https://wzor.biz/_astro/AdobeStock_98670537-1024x1024-1.DBUI--sH_2laBaF.webp)Most often, UX information architecture is designed on a diagram

## Benefits of a well-thought-out information architecture

Is it worth devoting time to it, or even investing in research? Definitely yes. And that’s because **IA allows you to:**

-   give users **better experiences** when interacting with the digital product;
-   get **more traffic** on the site - more audiences reach the information they’re looking for;
-   **reduce the bounce rate** - users can easily achieve their goals, so they stay on the site longer;
-   **improve conversion** - making key information easier to access translates into more sales, course sign-ups, completed contact forms and every other action important to the company;
-   enable smooth **UX copywriting** - a refined architecture makes it easier to create concrete copy;
-   build solid **foundations for designing with users in mind** (User Experience);
-   **support SEO** - organised data and content, connected by a network of internal linking, affect the site’s ranking in Google.

## Ideal UX information architecture

As you already know, **UX information architecture that’s ideal for everyone doesn’t exist, but the one that’s perfect specifically for you - absolutely does**. Let’s look at how you can achieve it. To start, download the free checklist, which I’ll walk through in a moment.

* * *

### Download the checklist for free: Information architecture

Free resources

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* * *

Good - now that you have the checklist in front of you, let’s start planning the IA together.

We’ll be interested in **3 main matters**: your business goals, the needs of the users you’re targeting your product at, and the information you want to place in it.

### Stage 1. Analysis of the target group, the product’s main functions, and the context created for it by your competition

Start by answering the fundamental question: **What is the user supposed to do when they launch your product?** Do you want them to place an order, fill in a contact form, download the materials you make available, share their opinion, complete a test? The layout of the content is meant to lead them quickly, easily and pleasantly to the achievement of your business goal.

But hold on - it’s not quite that easy. You also have to take their goals into account. **What problems and needs does your product help them satisfy?**

If you haven’t yet identified your **UX personas**, it’s high time to describe them. I write about exactly how to do it in the article: What is a UX persona? A template to download. Put most simply, personas describe your potential customers, their needs, motivations and ways of using the product.

Also take into account the usage habits your target users have already developed. Through [mental models](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_model) you’ll learn what assumptions audiences have even before launching your product, and where they expect to find specific information. For example, the cart in an online store has already been given its place in users’ minds - they reflexively look for it in the top right corner of the screen.

You’ll learn more about the behaviour and expectations of your target group from **UX research, surveys, academic reports** - and, if your product is already live, from **web analytics** too (e.g. tools like Google Analytics or Google Search Console).

What remains at this stage is competitor analysis. Look at the solutions proposed by other companies in your industry and learn from their mistakes.

### Stage 2. Defining the main content areas to be included in the product

Based on the analyses from the first stage, you can determine which content exactly should appear in your product. **Write out all the content areas** users will look for and which they need in order to perform specific actions, e.g. placing an order.

If your site or app is already running and you want to refine the information architecture, analyse the content you already have. Decide what to add, what to update, and what to drop entirely.

Already now, **think about how you’d like to develop the product in the future** and what information will probably need to be added to the existing structure later on.

### Stage 3. Developing the main menu

Knowing what information your UX information architecture must cover, you now need to **group and name (label)** it appropriately. Here, again, UX tests come to the rescue (card sorting, tree testing, usability tests - you can read more about them in the article: [Effective usability research methods. What’s worth investing in?](https://wzor.biz/en/blog/metody-badania-uzytecznosci/)).

Divide the content areas into groups of similar topics which, once named, become the elements of the main navigation menu. If you have an extensive site, seriously consider using navigation that precisely informs the user where they currently are.

![Screenshot 2022 04 08 114447 1024x451 1 | wzór ux agency | what does ideal ux information architecture look like? a checklist to download |](https://wzor.biz/_astro/Zrzut-ekranu-2022-04-08-114447-1024x451-1.ekOFKaax_Z1eVw60.webp)An example of a main menu (in blue) and breadcrumb navigation (in orange) on the Wzór site

There’s one rule - **design navigation so as to lead the user “by the hand”** **through the product**.

### Stage 4. Creating a sitemap

A product map shows the location of all subpages and the hierarchy of information.

With the main navigation worked out, you can now go deeper into the topic. **Split the content areas into individual subpages.** Create a simple and intuitive system of labels (naming) so the audience knows exactly where they’ll find the information they need. Company details and a contact form are expected in the “Contact” tab, so let them be there. Otherwise the audience will start to get lost.

Also choose features that will make it easier for users to interact with your product, e.g. a search box, filtering and so on. Let audiences cut down and ease the time they need to find a specific piece of information as much as possible.

![Screenshot 2022 04 08 122554 1024x598 1 | wzór ux agency | what does ideal ux information architecture look like? a checklist to download |](https://wzor.biz/_astro/Zrzut-ekranu-2022-04-08-122554-1024x598-1.BQhi8cmh_Z1Tn353.webp)The search box on the Wzór site

### Stage 5. Prototyping

Before the final launch, **the UX information architecture still needs to be checked**. Wireframes and prototypes are perfect for this. Send them to your potential customers for testing. Give them a task to perform, e.g. finding specific data or placing an order. By learning their impressions, you’ll find out whether the IA really works as it should.

## The most common mistakes in information architecture

To finish, I’ll tell you about a few of the **most common mistakes that cause IA to lose its power**. There are situations where a team has worked hard creating the architecture, devoting a lot of time, effort and commitment. They’re sure they’ve created the ideal structure and … Nothing. The results show that something’s off. But what exactly?

We may be dealing with several causes. Here are the most common:

1.  **The UX information architecture has been confused with navigation** - IA is definitely more, and the menu is only one of its elements. By caring only about navigation, the architecture is incomplete.
2.  **The information was designed mainly with the creator in mind, not the target users** - as experts we can fall under the illusion that everyone thinks the way we do and uses the site in a way that’s convenient for us. That’s definitely not the case. So research users’ needs and the solutions you implement using UX tests (e.g. card sorting, tree testing, usability tests, in-depth interviews, prototyping).
3.  **Matters of [search engine ranking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization) were completely overlooked** - the site, service, store or app is so far down the search results that hardly anyone finds it. The traffic is poor. Create content-rich subpages, don’t duplicate the same texts and topics, and take care of unique keywords.
4.  **Content that’s important to users is hidden on the site** - to get to it you have to struggle and make a lot of clicks. Create intuitive navigation and take care of internal linking.
5.  **The information structure isn’t adapted for further growth** - expanding the product then requires designing the IA almost from scratch. It’s better to assume from the start which direction the product might take and ensure the information can be expanded as quickly and easily as possible in the future.

## Summary

All these efforts I’ve told you about pay off many times over. A solid UX information architecture saves a good deal of the company budget that would otherwise be irretrievably consumed by misguided design solutions. Use this knowledge to create great digital products.

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About the author

## [Aleksandra Bondar](https://wzor.biz/en/team-and-partners/aleksandra-bondar/)

Senior UX/UI Designer

Senior UX/UI designer at the UX agency Wzór. She designs interfaces for web, mobile and e-commerce applications - from requirements analysis, wireframes and prototypes to final UI consistent with the design system.

[Book a consultation](https://wzor.biz/en/free-consultation/)

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