How do you know if your Information Architecture works for users?

1 User Research

The first step to creating a user-friendly IA is to understand your users' needs, goals, preferences, and behaviors. User research is the process of gathering and analyzing data and feedback from your target audience, using methods such as surveys, interviews, personas, scenarios, and user journeys. User research can help you identify the main tasks and information that users want to accomplish and access on your website or app, as well as the pain points and challenges they face. User research can also help you segment your users into different groups based on their characteristics, needs, and expectations, and tailor your IA accordingly.

2 Card Sorting

One of the most common and effective techniques for designing and testing your IA is card sorting. Card sorting is a participatory method that involves asking users to sort a set of cards, each representing a piece of content or functionality, into categories that make sense to them. Card sorting can help you understand how users group, label, and prioritize the information on your website or app, and how they expect to find it. Card sorting can be done in different ways, such as open, closed, or hybrid, depending on the level of flexibility and guidance you want to give to users. Card sorting can be conducted either in person or online, using tools such as OptimalSort, UserZoom, or Treejack.

3 Tree Testing

Another useful technique for evaluating and refining your IA is tree testing. Tree testing is a method that involves asking users to complete a set of tasks using only the labels and structure of your IA, without any visual design or navigation cues. Tree testing can help you measure how easy and intuitive it is for users to find the information they need on your website or app, and identify any gaps, confusion, or ambiguity in your IA. Tree testing can also help you compare different versions of your IA and see which one performs better. Tree testing can be done online, using tools such as Treejack, UserZoom, or Chalkmark.

4 Usability Testing

The final step to validating and improving your IA is usability testing. Usability testing is a method that involves observing and interviewing users as they interact with your website or app, using realistic tasks and scenarios. Usability testing can help you evaluate how well your IA supports the user experience, and how it affects the usability metrics such as effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and error rate. Usability testing can also help you uncover any usability issues or user feedback that may not be captured by other methods. Usability testing can be done in different settings, such as lab, field, or remote, using tools such as UserTesting, Lookback, or Hotjar.

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?