How can you evaluate Information Architecture in large organizations?

2 Conduct user research

User research is essential for understanding your users' needs, preferences, behaviors, and pain points. It can help you identify the gaps and opportunities in your current IA, as well as validate your assumptions and hypotheses. You can use different user research methods to evaluate your IA, such as interviews, surveys, card sorting, tree testing, personas, scenarios, and user journeys. You should involve a representative sample of your users, and segment them based on relevant criteria, such as roles, tasks, goals, and contexts.

3 Analyze your content

Content analysis is the process of reviewing and evaluating your existing content, and determining how it fits into your IA. You can use tools like content inventories, content audits, content matrices, and content models to document and analyze your content. You should consider aspects such as content type, format, quality, relevance, consistency, accuracy, tone, voice, and style. You should also check for any content gaps, overlaps, duplications, or redundancies, and plan for content creation, maintenance, and governance.

4 Test your IA

Testing your IA is a way of checking if your users can find and use the information they need easily and efficiently. You can use various testing methods to measure the performance and usability of your IA, such as usability testing, A/B testing, multivariate testing, first-click testing, and eye-tracking. You should test your IA with real users, and collect both quantitative and qualitative data. You should also test your IA at different stages of your design process, from low-fidelity prototypes to high-fidelity products.

5 Review your feedback

Feedback is the input and opinions that you receive from your users and stakeholders about your IA. You can use different feedback channels to collect and review feedback, such as comments, ratings, reviews, suggestions, complaints, and support requests. You should analyze your feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your IA, as well as any trends or patterns. You should also respond to your feedback and acknowledge the issues and improvements that you are working on.

6 Iterate your IA

Iterating your IA is the process of making changes and improvements to your IA based on your evaluation results and feedback. You should use an agile and user-centered approach to iterate your IA, and involve your users and stakeholders in the process. You should also document and communicate your changes and updates, and measure their impact and outcomes. You should keep iterating your IA until you achieve your goals and metrics, and satisfy your users and stakeholders.

7 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?