Functional foundation · Field guide
Information architecture
Organise information and choices so people can understand where they are and what they can do.
Information architecture shapes structures, labels, relationships, navigation, and findability. It connects a user’s mental model with the product’s content and capabilities without simply mirroring the organisation that built it.
Ways to practise the skill.
Choose methods because they reduce the uncertainty in front of the team—not because a template says they belong in the process.
Content inventory
Catalogue content, ownership, quality, duplication, audience, and lifecycle.
Helpful whenA product has grown unevenly or teams disagree about what exists.Card sorting
Ask participants to group and label items to reveal mental models and vocabulary.
Helpful whenDeveloping or challenging a taxonomy.Tree testing
Test whether people can find items in a text-only hierarchy without visual-design cues.
Helpful whenValidating navigation structure before interface polish.Object modelling
Define core objects, attributes, relationships, actions, and states.
Helpful whenDesigning complex products whose structure must work across many screens.Continue into the field.
Practical standards and method guidance from established sources.