How can usability testing results improve Information Architecture?

1 Identify user needs, preferences, and expectations

One of the benefits of usability testing is that it can help you understand who your users are, what they want, and how they think. By observing and interviewing users, you can discover their needs, preferences, and expectations for your product or service. You can also learn about their mental models, or how they categorize and relate information and features in your domain. This can help you design an IA that matches your users' needs, preferences, and expectations, and that aligns with their mental models. For example, if you are designing a travel website, you can use usability testing to find out what types of information and features users look for when planning a trip, how they search and filter results, and what labels and categories make sense to them.

2 Reveal gaps, problems, and opportunities in the current IA

Another benefit of usability testing is that it can help you evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your current IA. By measuring how users perform tasks, find information, and express their satisfaction or frustration, you can identify gaps, problems, and opportunities in your current IA. You can also use usability testing to compare different versions or alternatives of your IA and see which one performs better. For example, if you are redesigning a news website, you can use usability testing to find out how users navigate and browse the different sections, topics, and articles, how they use the search and filter functions, and how they rate the clarity and relevance of the labels and categories.

3 Validate or refine the proposed IA

A third benefit of usability testing is that it can help you validate or refine your proposed IA before launching or implementing it. By testing your proposed IA with real or representative users, you can get feedback and suggestions on how to improve it. You can also use usability testing to iterate and refine your IA based on user input and behavior. For example, if you are creating a new e-commerce website, you can use usability testing to find out how users react to your proposed IA, how they understand and use the labels and categories, and how they complete the purchase process.

4 Measure the impact of IA changes on user behavior and satisfaction

A fourth benefit of usability testing is that it can help you measure the impact of IA changes on user behavior and satisfaction. By conducting usability testing before and after making IA changes, you can compare and quantify the effects of your IA improvements. You can also use usability testing to monitor and evaluate your IA over time and make adjustments as needed. For example, if you are updating a social media website, you can use usability testing to find out how users adapt to the new IA, how they use the new features and functions, and how they rate the overall user experience.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?