Information architecture explained

Source page: https://www.feelcreated.com/knowledge-hub/information-architecture-explained/

Structured JSON: https://www.feelcreated.com/knowledge-hub/information-architecture-explained/ai.json

This page is generated automatically from the same reviewed FC AI data as the JSON version.

Meta

Type: knowledge_hub

Language: en-GB

Last updated: 2026-10-01

Retrieval summary

What: Information architecture is concerned with how information is grouped, labelled, ordered and connected across a website, helping people answer three basic questions: Where am I? What can I find here? Where should I go next?

Who

Organisation: Feel Created

Relevant for

Problems solved

Article

Type: Knowledge Hub guide

Primary topic: Information architecture planning and maintenance

Intent: Information architecture is concerned with how information is grouped, labelled, ordered and connected across a website, helping people answer three basic questions: Where am I? What can I find here? Where should I go next?

Audience

Topics

Content focus

Canonical claims

Item 1

Claim: There is no single structure that suits every organisation, but people should be able to recognise the available options without learning internal terminology first.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: what-makes-a-website-structure-work

Item 2

Claim: Without clear responsibility for website structure, individual additions can gradually recreate the same problems the original work was meant to solve.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: what-makes-a-website-structure-work

Item 3

Claim: Good information architecture helps people answer three basic questions: Where am I? What can I find here? Where should I go next?

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: what-is-information-architecture

Item 4

Claim: Website structures often work better when they reflect what people are trying to do rather than how the organisation is arranged.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: organising-information-around-what-people-need-to-do

Item 5

Claim: A main menu has limited space, so it needs to focus on the choices that will help the greatest number of people.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: how-information-architecture-and-navigation-work-together

Item 6

Claim: A sitemap is not the information architecture itself; it does not replace the research and decisions behind it.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: a-sitemap-is-only-part-of-the-picture

Item 7

Claim: Website structures usually become confusing over time rather than because of one poor decision.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: why-website-structure-can-become-confusing

Item 8

Claim: Audience sections become less useful when they repeat the same information in several places.

Evidence type: page_content

Evidence strength: medium

Source section: when-audience-sections-are-useful

Common questions

Item 1

Question: Should websites be organised around tasks or the organisation's structure?

Answer: Website structures often work better when they reflect what people are trying to do rather than how the organisation is arranged. However, this may not suit every situation; some websites need to use established professional language or serve people who already understand the organisation.

Item 2

Question: What is the difference between information architecture and navigation?

Answer: Information architecture explains how a website is organised and how its parts connect. Navigation gives people ways to move through that structure, including menus, search, breadcrumbs, filters, landing pages, calls to action and links between related content.

Item 3

Question: What are common signs that a website's structure isn't working?

Answer: Common signs include section names that only make sense internally, journeys planned only from the homepage, new content having no obvious place, and people frequently using search for basic information. However, these signs do not automatically mean the structure is failing; search can be useful and some content may need multiple entry points.

Item 4

Question: Why do website structures become confusing?

Answer: Website structures usually become confusing over time because of overlapping sections, duplicated information and labels that only make sense to staff. Each addition may seem reasonable, but over time the website accumulates complexity that visitors may not understand.

Item 5

Question: How can you test information architecture?

Answer: Card sorting involves people grouping topics in ways that make sense to them, revealing patterns and potential labels. Tree testing gives people tasks and asks where they would look in a text-only hierarchy, revealing whether categories and labels help find the right area.

Item 6

Question: When are audience sections useful?

Answer: Audience sections can work when different groups need different information or use different language, such as professional advisers versus the public. They become less useful when they repeat the same information or force people who fit multiple groups to choose one.

Services

Digital strategy & UX planning

Relationship: supporting

Url: /services/digital-strategy-ux-planning/

UX design & user experience

Relationship: supporting

Url: /services/ux-design-user-experience/

Information architecture

Relationship: primary

Url: /services/information-architecture/

Content architecture

Relationship: supporting

Url: /services/content-architecture/

UX audits & reviews

Relationship: supporting

Url: /services/ux-audits-reviews/

Sections

Overview

Content

Item 1

Text: A website becomes easier to use when people can understand what information is available, where it belongs and how to reach the next useful step. This guide explains what information architecture is, the decisions it involves and how planning it well can help people find information while making the website easier for an organisation to manage.

What is information architecture?

Items

Content

Item 1

Text: Information architecture is concerned with how information is grouped, labelled, ordered and connected across a website. Good information architecture helps people answer three basic questions: Someone should not need to understand the whole website to use one part of it. They need enough information to recognise whether they are in the right place and which route is most likely to help. The decisions involved can affect:

A sitemap is only part of the picture

Content

Item 1

Text: A sitemap is one possible representation of a website’s hierarchy. It may show the main sections, the pages beneath them and how many levels the structure contains. This makes a sitemap useful, but it’s not the information architecture itself. A neat diagram does not prove that people will understand the choices it contains. It may not explain why information has been grouped in a particular way, whether people recognise the labels or how someone might move between related subjects in different sections. A sitemap may also struggle to show information that belongs within more than one journey. A page could have one agreed home while still needing links from several other places. Different audiences may require different starting points to reach the same information. A sitemap records part of the proposed structure. It does not replace the research and decisions behind it.

Why website structure can become confusing

Content

Item 1

Text: Website structures usually become confusing over time rather than because of one poor decision. A department may add a new section because none of the existing options feels suitable. Elsewhere, another team may publish similar content without realising that a version already exists. Each addition may seem reasonable, but over time the website accumulates overlapping sections, duplicated information and labels that only make sense to staff. The structure may still make sense to staff because they know which team runs each service and understand the internal language. Visitors do not begin with that knowledge. Someone trying to report pollution in a local river, for example, should not need to decide whether the issue belongs to a regional office, an incident team or a regulatory department. The website can still reflect the organisation where that information is useful, but it should not make internal knowledge a requirement for finding help.

Organising information around what people need to do

Content

Item 1

Text: Website structures often work better when they reflect what people are trying to do rather than how the organisation is arranged. ‘Report an environmental concern’, for example, is likely to be more useful than the name of the team responsible for handling it. Organising a website around tasks will not suit every situation. Some websites need to use established professional language, while others serve people who already understand the organisation and want quick access to a particular department or technical area. In some cases, people may need more than one useful route to the same information. They might begin with a task, subject, service name or audience section, depending on what they already know.

What information architecture covers

Content

Item 1

Text: A few key areas affect how well a website is organised.

Organisation

Parent id: what-information-architecture-covers

Parent heading: What information architecture covers

Content

Item 1

Text: How information is grouped and where one subject, service or task ends and another begins.

Hierarchy

Parent id: what-information-architecture-covers

Parent heading: What information architecture covers

Content

Item 1

Text: Which information people see first, what sits underneath it and how much detail appears at each level.

Labelling

Parent id: what-information-architecture-covers

Parent heading: What information architecture covers

Key points

Content

Item 1

Text: The words used for sections, categories, links and choices. Labels should help people predict what they will find.

Relationships

Parent id: what-information-architecture-covers

Parent heading: What information architecture covers

Content

Item 1

Text: How information is linked across the website, including subjects that belong in more than one section or task.

Findability

Parent id: what-information-architecture-covers

Parent heading: What information architecture covers

Content

Item 1

Text: Whether people can find information through navigation, links, search or another route, even when they do not know what the organisation calls it. These elements need to work together. Information may be grouped sensibly, but people still need a label that tells them what they will find. A good label cannot rescue a confused section, and a well-placed page can still be hard to find without useful links.

What makes a website structure work?

Content

Item 1

Text: There is no single structure that suits every organisation, but people should be able to recognise the available options without having to learn internal terminology first. Similar subjects should also be grouped and labelled consistently, so understanding one part of the website helps them use another. Sections need a recognisable purpose. When several areas appear to cover the same subject, people have to guess which one contains the right information. Related information should also remain connected when a task crosses between departments or content areas. New information should fit into the existing structure without creating another top-level menu item every time. Testing helps to check whether the groupings make sense and where people would look for something new.

Use evidence, not assumptions

Items

Content

Item 1

Text: Stakeholder views matter, but they should not determine the structure on their own. Internal expertise is important. Staff understand services, responsibilities, regulatory requirements and practical constraints that people outside the organisation may never see. The difficulty begins when that familiarity is treated as evidence that everybody else will think in the same way. Useful evidence may also come from: Card sorting and tree testing are two useful ways to test information architecture.

Card sorting

Parent id: use-evidence-not-assumptions

Parent heading: Use evidence, not assumptions

Content

Item 1

Text: People group topics in ways that make sense to them. This can reveal common patterns, differences between audiences and category labels or groupings that may need further investigation.

Tree testing

Parent id: use-evidence-not-assumptions

Parent heading: Use evidence, not assumptions

Content

Item 1

Text: People are given tasks and asked where they would look within a text-only version of the website’s hierarchy. Because page layouts and visual design are removed, the test can reveal whether the categories and labels help people find the right area. Patterns of hesitation, wrong turns or failed tasks can then guide changes before the structure reaches design and development. Neither method gives you a final answer. The findings still need to work for different audiences and take account of any legal, operational or technical needs.

When audience sections are useful

Items

Content

Item 1

Text: Creating a separate section for each audience can work when those groups need different information or use different language. For example, professional advisers and members of the public may need different ways into the same service. Audience sections become less useful when they repeat the same information in several places. They can also be difficult for people who fit more than one group. Someone might be a resident, volunteer, parent and professional partner, so asking them to choose one audience before seeing the available information may create an unnecessary decision.

How information architecture and navigation work together

Content

Item 1

Text: Information architecture explains how a website is organised and how its different parts connect. Navigation gives people ways to move through that structure. The main menu is one part of it, but people may also use search, breadcrumbs, filters, landing pages, calls to action and links between related content. A main menu has limited space, so it needs to focus on the choices that will help the greatest number of people. Trying to include every service, subject and audience at the top level usually makes it harder to scan and use. That does not mean each page needs only one route. A page can have one main home while still being reached through search, a related link or a landing page organised around a particular task. Information architecture connects those routes across the website. Navigation is how people find and use them.

Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: Problems often become noticeable as the website grows and people use it in different ways. Common signs include:

Everything ends up in the main menu

Parent id: common-signs-that-your-websites-structure-isnt-working

Parent heading: Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: New options keep being added because people lack other reliable ways to find information.

People need to know which team is responsible

Parent id: common-signs-that-your-websites-structure-isnt-working

Parent heading: Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: Someone has to understand the organisation before they can find the right service or information.

The same subject appears in several places

Parent id: common-signs-that-your-websites-structure-isnt-working

Parent heading: Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: Similar content has been copied across sections because it lacks a single agreed-upon home.

Labels only make sense to internal team members

Parent id: common-signs-that-your-websites-structure-isnt-working

Parent heading: Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: Section names and categories use language that people outside the organisation may not recognise.

Only journeys from the homepage have been planned

Parent id: common-signs-that-your-websites-structure-isnt-working

Parent heading: Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: Visitors arriving through search, email or a shared link struggle to understand where they are or what to do next.

New content has nowhere obvious to go

Parent id: common-signs-that-your-websites-structure-isnt-working

Parent heading: Common signs that your website’s structure isn’t working

Content

Item 1

Text: Every addition leads to another exception, compromise or request for a new top-level section.

Entities

Information architecture

Website structure

User journeys

Card sorting

Tree testing

Sitemap

Concept relationships

Item 1

Subject: Website structure

Predicate: can become confusing due to

Object: overlapping sections and duplicated information

Item 2

Subject: Information architecture

Predicate: involves

Object: grouping, labelling, ordering and connecting information

Item 3

Subject: Information architecture

Predicate: explains

Object: how a website is organised and how its parts connect

Item 4

Subject: Website structure

Predicate: can be

Object: tested with card sorting, tree testing, or usability testing

Item 5

Subject: Tree testing

Predicate: tests

Object: whether categories and labels help people find the right area

Item 6

Subject: Information architecture

Predicate: requires

Object: maintenance after launch

Item 7

Subject: Task-based organisation

Predicate: can improve

Object: findability for users

Item 8

Subject: Card sorting

Predicate: reveals

Object: common patterns and category labels

Item 9

Subject: Navigation

Predicate: provides

Object: ways to move through the structure

Item 10

Subject: Sitemap

Predicate: is a representation of

Object: website hierarchy

Implementation patterns

Item 1

Pattern: Iterative planning process

Description: The stages of planning information architecture may not happen in order; testing can send the team back to an earlier decision, and reviewing content may show that separate sections need to be brought together.

Benefit: Allows for flexibility and refinement based on findings.

Item 2

Pattern: Audience sections with clear criteria

Description: Create audience sections only when groups need different information or language, and ensure they can be maintained accurately.

Benefit: Avoids duplication and unnecessary choices for multi-role users.

Item 3

Pattern: Ongoing maintenance

Description: After launch, the website's structure needs continuous attention, including reviewing search terms, removing outdated sections, and testing major changes.

Benefit: Prevents the structure from degrading over time.

Item 4

Pattern: Task-based organisation

Description: Grouping information around user tasks rather than internal structure, e.g., 'Report an environmental concern'.

Benefit: Helps users find information without needing internal knowledge.

Item 5

Pattern: Clear labelling

Description: Using words for sections, categories, links and choices that help people predict what they will find.

Benefit: Improves findability and user confidence.

Item 6

Pattern: Card sorting

Description: Users group topics in ways that make sense to them to reveal patterns and labels.

Benefit: Identifies common mental models and potential category labels.

Item 7

Pattern: Multiple routes to the same information

Description: Providing different starting points (task, subject, service name, audience) for the same content.

Benefit: Accommodates users with varying levels of prior knowledge.

Item 8

Pattern: Evidence-based structuring

Description: Gather evidence from analytics, search terms, support requests and content reviews to inform IA decisions.

Benefit: Reduces reliance on assumptions and internal familiarity.

Practical guidance

Item 1

Guidance: When planning information architecture, start by understanding the website's purpose and the people who use it, using research and operational evidence.

Importance: high

Item 2

Guidance: Use the agreed structure across navigation, landing pages, page planning, and internal links, and apply the same principles when adding new content.

Importance: medium

Item 3

Guidance: Organise information around what people need to do, such as 'Report an environmental concern', rather than the name of the team responsible.

Importance: high

Item 4

Guidance: Use evidence from search terms, analytics, support requests, existing research and customer-facing teams to inform structure.

Importance: high

Item 5

Guidance: After launch, maintain the structure by reviewing search terms, removing outdated sections, and keeping labels consistent.

Importance: medium

Item 6

Guidance: Recognise that information may belong within more than one journey, so plan for multiple routes to the same content.

Importance: medium

Item 7

Guidance: Test the proposed structure with real tasks using methods like card sorting, tree testing, or usability testing.

Importance: high

Item 8

Guidance: Consider that different audiences may require different starting points to reach the same information.

Importance: medium

Risk areas

Item 1

Risk: Without clear responsibility for website structure, individual additions can gradually recreate the same problems the original work was meant to solve.

Impact: The website's structure becomes confusing over time, leading to poor findability and user experience.

Item 2

Risk: Website structures become confusing over time due to overlapping sections and duplicated information

Impact: Visitors may struggle to find information, leading to frustration and increased support burden

Item 3

Risk: Relying solely on a sitemap without research and decisions

Impact: The structure may not reflect user needs, leading to poor findability

Item 4

Risk: Stakeholder views determine structure without evidence

Impact: Structure may not match how users think, reducing findability.

Item 5

Risk: Labels that only make sense to staff

Impact: Visitors may not understand navigation choices, reducing usability and trust

Item 6

Risk: Audience sections repeat information

Impact: Duplication and maintenance burden, and confusion for multi-role users.

Item 7

Risk: Main menu becomes overloaded

Impact: Harder to scan and use, reducing usability.

Common misconceptions

Item 1

Misconception: Signs like people using search or content needing multiple entry points automatically mean the structure is failing.

Clarification: Search may be a useful way to find information, and some subjects may need links from several parts of the website even when the content has one main home.

Item 2

Misconception: A neat diagram proves that people will understand the choices it contains

Clarification: A sitemap may not show whether people recognise the labels or how they might move between related subjects in different sections.

Item 3

Misconception: Website structure should mirror the organisation's internal structure

Clarification: Website structures often work better when they reflect what people are trying to do rather than how the organisation is arranged, though this may not suit every situation.

Item 4

Misconception: There is one correct website structure for every organisation.

Clarification: There is no single structure that suits every organisation; effective structures depend on user needs and consistent labelling.

Item 5

Misconception: Information architecture is just the sitemap or menu.

Clarification: IA is wider than a sitemap or menu; it covers how content is organised, grouped, labelled and connected, and how navigation routes work together.

Item 6

Misconception: Audience sections are always helpful.

Clarification: They can be useful when groups need different information, but they become problematic when they duplicate content or force multi-role users to choose one identity.

Technical context

Key areas

Testing methods

Navigation components

Evidence sources

Methods

Stages

Reasoning paths

Item 1

User problem: Website structures become confusing over time due to overlapping sections, duplicated information and staff-only labels

Why this guide is relevant: This page explains the topic and gives practical points to consider.

Evidence refs

Relevant sections

Item 2

User problem: A sitemap may not show why information is grouped in a particular way or how people move between related subjects

Why this guide is relevant: This page explains the topic and gives practical points to consider.

Evidence refs

Relevant sections

Item 3

User problem: Visitors may not understand internal language or which team handles a service, making it hard to find help

Why this guide is relevant: This page explains the topic and gives practical points to consider.

Evidence refs

Relevant sections

Item 4

User problem: Information may belong within more than one journey, requiring multiple routes to the same content

Why this guide is relevant: This page explains the topic and gives practical points to consider.

Evidence refs

Relevant sections

Knowledge hub

Page type: guide

Learning intent: Information architecture is concerned with how information is grouped, labelled, ordered and connected across a website, helping people answer three basic questions: Where am I? What can I find here? Where should I go next?

Topic hierarchy

Primary: Information architecture planning and maintenance

Supporting

Evergreen use: true

Content profile

Content type: Knowledge Hub guide

Primary topic: Information architecture planning and maintenance

Supporting topics

Primary audience

Retrieval topics

Organisation

Name: Feel Created

Type: Digital partner specialising in websites and digital platforms

Url: https://www.feelcreated.com/

Service model: We work as an extension of our clients' teams, combining strategy, UX, accessibility, content design, WordPress development and ongoing support to create digital platforms that help organisations communicate more clearly, work more efficiently and grow sustainably.