How can you create effective IA documentation and guidelines for dev teams?

In my experience, understanding your audience is crucial: ? Determine the level of IA knowledge within your team. If they have limited knowledge, you must provide examples and detailed explanations. For more experienced members, you can focus on specific aspects. ? The documentation must be tailored to the product type the team works on. If you develop web applications, you have to focus on multi-device compatibility, user experience, and user flows while developing mobile apps, the focus is on screen sizes, touch interactions, and other specifics. ? Take into consideration the role of each team member (i.e., back-end developers and front-end developers) and write the documentation depending on it.

Product Development needs dictate the format of IA documentation. Some teams just need a fully annotated clickable prototype. Other teams ask for elaborate documentation around taxonomy, site maps, information maps and such. I have seen paper prototypes getting converted to design in the pre-“design system” era. End of the day, rather than thinking of the documentation as a checklist item, or a fancy relic, think of it as a tool that can drive Software or Product Development. Ask the PM and the Engineering lead as to what would help them Develop the product effectively and how can Design team help. It is that simple.

The following things I've found to be very helpful in how to use clear and consistent language throughout your IA work: ? Establish a clear and consistent vocabulary for all IA elements, such as page titles, URLs, buttons, and labels. ? Avoid using technical terms that might not be familiar to all dev team members. Stick to simple, straightforward language. ? Be concise and avoid unnecessary wordiness. Every word should serve a purpose and add value to the documentation. ? Make sure that grammatical errors and typos are removed and proofread before publishing the documentation. ? Use the same format by maintaining a consistent style for all elements. ? Pass the documentation to all team members and encourage feedback.

Something that I've found helpful is: ? Provide thoughtful and actionable feedback on how well the team members follow your IA documentation and guidelines. ? Encourage the dev team to ask questions and seek clarification whenever they encounter any challenges or questions. ? Schedule regular meetings or check-ins with the dev team to discuss their progress and identify areas needing clarification or guidance. ? Engage with other stakeholders, such as product managers and designers, to gather feedback on the dev team's implementation of IA principles. ? It is crucial to encourage the team to take ownership of IA decisions and to contribute to the ongoing refinement of IA guidelines. ? Adapt your documentation to any future change.

From my knowledge, the most essential key points are: ? In the documentation, include all the milestones, deliverables, and deadlines to ensure the project is on track. ? Track each decision by documenting each finding, stakeholder feedback, test results, and the rationale behind each decision. ? Regularly review and update the documentation and outcomes to reflect lessons learned or emerging best practices.

"Confluence, GitHub wiki, and other resources should contain the most important information about your product, illustrating how the product was developed and why certain decisions were made. For users, interactive tools like Storybook or CodeSandbox are ideal for demonstrating how your product works.

However technical you and your team are, always start with a business "hat" on when building solutions that need to align with IA (Information Architecture). Consider new and updated features and how they impact the enterprise data model, avoid reinventing data entities and centralise or mesh your initiatives with other business areas - both technically and logically from a data model perspective. Communication is key!

Even if the documentation follows all the guidelines, it must be very accessible and easy to find, understand, and use by anyone who needs it. The language must be clear, easy to understand, and have a logical structure and organization.