Information Architecture: 6 Best Practices for Government Websites

When 21st Century IDEA became law in 2018, federal agencies faced a mandate to modernize their websites. IDEA sets out baseline requirements to ensure that these efforts deliver better digital experiences for government stakeholders, including citizens.

In addition to things like accessibility and security, IDEA calls for agency websites to be user-centered and searchable, and to avoid duplication with legacy websites.

One key to meeting these criteria is a sound information architecture.

What is information architecture?

Information architecture (IA) is the science of organizing information to create clear paths to content – aka user journeys.

Often mistaken as a synonym for navigation, IA underpins everything users do to find what they need. This includes navigation, for sure. It also includes on-site and public search, filtering and sorting, and skimming and scanning.

What’s different about IA for government agencies?

The internet is rife with IA advice for ecommerce, B2B, and other sites designed around a classic buyer’s journey. And while some of that advice applies to government, much of it falls short.

Some agency sites do support fee-for-service transactions, and some even sell branded merch, but no government site is pure ecommerce. Most are structured to support information journeys, behavior change journeys, compliance journeys, journeys related to policy and process transparency – and sometimes all the above.

To help agencies hit the 21st Century IDEA mark, here are six best practices to help define an IA that supports government user journeys:

The power of user-centered information architecture

These best practices can help agencies align on key requirements under 21st Century IDEA, avoid common pitfalls, and deliver intuitive user journeys. Not only does that help optimize the government customer experience, it can galvanize pride and excitement internally and support the case for continued or expanded funding for agency programs.

At Spire, we are staunch advocates for – and occasionally giddy fans of – government innovation and everything federal agencies do in service of the public interest. Ditto for the principles of 21st Century IDEA. We work closely with clients to define the information architecture that best supports their website goals and objectives—so that every user journey ends where the user wanted to go.

Want to know more? Check out our website services.

??: Anna Weaver , Content strategist, writer, and creative thought partner at Spire Communications