How can you improve information architecture for enterprise software using IA and UX?

It's important to understand the knowledge and use patterns of the user base. IA may differ when targeting tech-savvy users vs. those less technically proficient. You don't want to simplify too much for one group or make it too complex and jargony for the other.

Context is everything! Design is a process in which you apply tools to get to a solution so when you do the work you need to focus and learn what are all the requirements and needs for even the problem to be well defined. So I see IA is, especially for a complex product, essential for understanding what are the grounds you are going to be defining the UX solution on.

Information Architecture (IA) is ultimately the specification of an output, designed to deliver the most value towards a outcome, within constraints. To be effective we need to understand the user segmentation/s, their key value outcomes, and how we will measure this value. We also need to understand the constraints of the organisation & system in order to ensure any specification is viable. It's also important to see that all of these, from the user segmentations through to the IA specification itself are a hypothesis, for which the design process (test and learn) is the validation.

Understanding context is understanding the goal. Without it every software would be like a blindfolded person trying to hit the target. So with proper understanding of context, we will have near to perfect IA

Designing or improving enterprise software's information architecture requires a thorough understanding of its context. This involves identifying its purpose, users, tasks, and technical, organizational, and cultural constraints. This contextual understanding is crucial for defining requirements, setting goals, and ensuring a user-centric design that aligns with both user needs and organizational objectives.

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” - Inigo Montoya The purpose of an IA is communication. At the heart of all communication is language. Designing effective software is the process of codifying implicit knowledge as explicit systems. To do this we need to define language and ontological models which ensure everyone is on the same page. As per Domain Driven Design by Eric Evans, collaboration between domain and technical experts is key. They should define a common ontology (a ubiquitous language) as the critical first step to all effective software design.

Stakeholders and end users' interests are often in conflict. The end users should be who documentation is designed for ultimately. Stakeholders need to learn why documentation should be given the proper time and effort, and budget! And that's where the collaboration is needed. But they should not be deciding what the documentation is, the end users are the ultimate approvers.

Interacting with stakeholders and observing their workflow is essential to understand how design can optimize and improve their day-to-day tasks. As a designer, I strive to create solutions that are tailored to the unique needs and challenges of the users, and collaborating with stakeholders helps me to achieve this.

Projetos digitais s?o como tramas complexas, envolvendo uma variedade de partes interessadas – designers, desenvolvedores, gerentes, clientes internos e usuários finais - cada um com suas perspectivas únicas. A chave para o sucesso está na colabora??o contínua. Desde a pesquisa até a avalia??o da Arquitetura de Informa??o (IA) e Experiência do Usuário (UX), é fundamental envolver todas as partes interessadas. Utilize métodos criativos, como entrevistas, pesquisas, workshops e protótipos, para tecer as expectativas e necessidades em cada etapa. Lembre-se, a colabora??o é a linha que une todas as vozes para criar uma experiência de usuário verdadeiramente envolvente.

Construir com um grupo multidisciplinar diverso e multidisciplinar um mapa de stakeholders e a partir dele, priorizar as partes interessadas e realizar entrevistas, suporta a constru??o de um conhecimento valioso e a gera??o de empatia dos atores envolvidos. A partir da análise e idea??o, busca-se na sequência alinhar e equilibrar o atendimento de expectativas e necessidades, e com certeza, ter argumenta??o para encontrar caminhos de intersec??o, negocia??o e evolu??o contínua.

Definir estrutura, hierarquia e navega??o traz benefícios como: - aumentar facilidade de uso: quando bem definidas, a pessoa usuária pode encontrar informa??es de forma rápida e fácil, tornando o produto ou servi?o mais fácil de usar e mais agradável. - aumentar a eficiência: quando encontram as informa??es de que precisam rapidamente, concluem a tarefa de forma mais eficiente. Isso pode levar a uma experiência do usuário mais positiva e a resultados melhores para o negócio. - reduzir a frustra??o: quando a pessoa usuária n?o consegue encontrar as informa??es de que precisam, eles ficam frustrados. Isso pode levar a uma experiência do usuário negativa e a resultados ruins para o negócio.

Ensuring that everyone is aware of the current object model before introducing changes is key. It helps ensure everyone is aware of current state and future state so the team can design the steps to get there.

It can be tricky to find that balance between what stakeholders want and what users need. Using techniques like card sorting and tree testing with your actual users can be so beneficial in revealing new opportunities and solutions. You can this use this data to present solution to stakeholders that can meet both the user and the business needs.

Na arquitetura de informa??o, esculpir a estrutura e navega??o de um software corporativo é uma tarefa vital. Organizar informa??es em categorias e subcategorias, criando páginas significativas, é o cerne desse processo. O objetivo? Proporcionar aos usuários uma jornada clara e consistente. Técnicas como classifica??o de cart?es, teste de árvore e sitemaps s?o aliadas poderosas para conceber e validar essa estrutura. Além disso, ao projetar sua IA, n?o esque?a dos princípios de hierarquia, agrupamento, rotulagem e facilitar buscas. Uma navega??o intuitiva é a chave para uma experiência digital envolvente.

Die Entwicklung einer konsistenten Navigation und Interaktion ist besonders wichtig, denn User sehen immer nur einen Ausschnitt aus der gesamten Informationsstruktur. Mit den ihnen angebotenen Informationen müssen sie an jeder Stelle in der Lage sein, ihr Ziel zu verfolgen und zu erreichen. Je komplexer eine Informations-Architektur ist, desto wichtiger wird es, das Angebot an Interaktionsm?glichkeiten für die User an jedem Punkt der User Journey bzw. in der Sitemap anzupassen und dafür die passenden Muster (UX/UI Patterns) einzusetzen.

Nesta fase criamos os elementos visuais e funcionais, como menus, bot?es e gráficos, que ganham vida na tela. Minha dica é: adote diretrizes de design de interface do usuário, focando em contraste, alinhamento e equilíbrio para garantir consistência. Além disso, n?o esque?a princípios de acessibilidade, feedback e simplicidade ao dar forma à intera??o. Cada pixel e intera??o é uma pe?a no quebra-cabe?a de uma experiência memorável.

Wireframing: Start with wireframes to outline the basic layout and structure of our interface. Hierarchy: Establish a clear hierarchy for information. Consistency: Maintain consistency in design elements, such as colors, fonts, and button styles. Feedback: Include feedback mechanisms like hover effects or subtle animations. User Testing: Conduct user testing to gather feedback on the information architecture. Identify pain points and areas for improvement. Accessibility: Consider accessibility principles to ensure our design is usable for people with diverse abilities. Collaboration: Work closely with developers and other stakeholders to ensure the feasibility and smooth implementation of our design.

Wireframing: Start with wireframes to outline the basic layout and structure of our interface. Hierarchy: Establish a clear hierarchy for information. Consistency: Maintain consistency in design elements, such as colors, fonts, and button styles. Feedback: Include feedback mechanisms like hover effects or subtle animations. User Testing: Conduct user testing to gather feedback on the information architecture. Identify pain points and areas for improvement. Accessibility: Consider accessibility principles to ensure our design is usable for people with diverse abilities. Collaboration: Work closely with developers and other stakeholders to ensure the feasibility and smooth implementation of our design.

La creación de elementos visuales y funcionales que los usuarios experimentan en la pantalla, desde menús hasta iconos, juega un papel crucial en la experiencia general del usuario. Seguir las directrices y estándares del dise?o de interfaz es clave. El contraste, la alineación, el equilibrio y la coherencia no solo brindan una estética agradable, sino que también mejoran la usabilidad.

Die Schnittstelle zwischen Informationsarchitektur und dem UI Design sind die Wireframes, zusammen mit Sitemaps und Flowcharts. Ein wichtiger Schritt dabei ist die Ausformulierung der Auspr?gungen von Content-Elementen bereits als Wireframes: Sie k?nnen sehr verschieden sein, je nachdem, welcher und wieviel Content tats?chlich in der individuellen Ansicht für den User zur Verfügung steht. Die Strukturierung von Auspr?gungen ist auch eine Aufgabe der Informationsarchitektur. Die Aufgabe des UI Design ist es dann, alle diese Auspr?gungen zu berücksichtigen, so dass alle Content-Elemente in allen Kontexten für die User passend, d.h. erkennbar und nutzbar, sind und die Zielsetzung und Zielerreichung des Users unterstützen.

Regular testing and iteration based on user feedback help to refine the software and ensure that it meets the needs of the users. This results in a better UX and increased user satisfaction.

Além de frameworks e ferramentas para análise de métricas, uma boa forma que utilizo para identificar problemas de usabilidade é visitar a atribui??o de notas e comentários nas lojas App Store (iOS) e Play Store (Android). Os usuários se sentem mais confortáveis para expor suas queixas e problemas encontrados. Além de comentários em redes sociais da empresa.

I prefer to do small iterative improvements vs one large unveiling of a new product. This allows users to adjust to changes slowly and empowers them to provide feedback as the work is being done to make sure that what you're building is actually useful.

Concluir a arquitetura de informa??es envolve a fase crucial de testar e iterar seu produto digital. Essa etapa demanda avalia??es de usabilidade, funcionalidade e desempenho com usuários reais ou representativos, identificando e resolvendo possíveis problemas. Métodos como avalia??o heurística, passo a passo cognitivo, teste de usuário e análise s?o ferramentas poderosas para aprimorar seu software. N?o esque?a de coletar e analisar dados e feedback dos usuários, utilizando-os para impulsionar melhorias contínuas na Arquitetura de Informa??o e Experiência do Usuário (IA e UX). A evolu??o é a chave para um produto digital excepcional.

The concluding phase of information architecture involves rigorous testing and iteration of your enterprise software. This entails assessing usability, functionality, and performance with real or representative users, addressing any identified issues. Methods like heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough, user testing, and analytics facilitate this testing and iteration process. Collecting and analyzing user and stakeholder feedback, alongside data, is instrumental in refining both information architecture (IA) and user experience (UX), ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with user needs and expectations.

Prioritize and simplify. Identify your top categories of navigation, large buckets which your users would understand immediately. Use dropdown menu’s with sub categories to expand the top categories further and provide direct links. A prioritized structure will allow your users to decide if they want to explore the top category or go deeper into a sub category or go further into an individual link. This structure is likely to solve a majority of information architecture issues.

Improving information architecture for enterprise applications involves aligning IA with UX principles. Streamline navigation, organize content logically and prioritize user needs to enhance overall usability. Conduct user testing to refine and validate the IA ensuring it will align seamlessly with user expectations.

Eine gute Informations-Architektur sollte immer skalierbar sein, weil es immer sein kann, dass Elemente hinzukommen oder wegfallen.

Technical IA may be just as important to understand as business and user IA. In that with established business systems, the right thing to do may in-fact be a lot harder to actually implement; or involve elements of the business you haven’t previously considered. Understanding the current employee workflows and technical systems and integrations, and what it may take to update, replace and or improve will be just as important to consider as what you want to add for the sake of users or business managers.