Information architecture encompasses a wide range of problems. But regardless of the specific context or objectives of a given information architecture project, our concern is always with creating structures to facilitate effective communication. This notion is the core of our discipline. Jessie James Garrett

Information architects work in a niche very close to that of the graphic designer, web designer, user-experience designer, front-end developer, and usability expert (I’ve written an article about considering all of the above as careers). Indeed, all of these occupations share a common theme: user-centered design (See Jessie James Garrett’s pdf on the related elements of User Experience). Over time, the duties of these professions have become distinct. While the graphic/web designer specializes in brilliant use of color, typography, texture, etc. to convey a message, the Information Architect looks at the architecture of the site from a more objective position. She might ask: what is the flow of users through our site? How does the software help the user catalog their information? How is that presented back to the user? Is that information helping the customer (ie: decision driving)?

To do this, the information architect must focus on a number of things: the target audience, the technologies related to the website, the data that will be presented through the website, and (hopefully) the results of early usability tests regarding the site ideas.

The best IAs work with multiple departments, holding together a unified vision of what the site will entail. Think of them as analogous to a city planner, or even a traditional architect. They will have an overarching vision for how things will work, but they cannot specify too much without exiting their area of expertise. [...] To understand how an IA affects a project, you might imagine assigning a traditional architect to a building after it’s constructed. It’s a laughable proposition, and yet it happens to this day. Even after the most well-engineered buildings are constructed they are still prone to change. [...] Again, as preposterous as it sounds, we typically place today’s Information Architects in a similar position—assigning them to web sites after some other self-imposed IA has prototyped the site. That’s because most people don’t know any better. The sooner you assign the vision of the project to a professional, the faster it will embody that vision. [...] With all of that said, in most projects a dedicated IA is simply not necessary. This is because an Information Architect fills roles similar– but not identical- to that of the project manager. A professional IA is only necessary if your site deals with large amounts of data, especially in an unusual way. Perhaps your site involves a new way to search for books, for example?

Flickr allows me to upload my pictures and organize them, tag them, however I see fit. There is no central authority telling me what to tag my pictures. This is partly because itʼs not going to hurt anybody if I do it ʻwrongʼ … Flickr isnʼt a mission-critical system. Itʼs a playful social platform…if you want a serious photo library, then use a system like the national archive or Corbis has, but not Flickr. Thereʼs a difference between managing information, and designing the infrastructure to let others manage it themselves.But both approaches are architectural.

An information architect will generally do the following activities as part of a project team:

. Research the audience and the Business IAs take on a myriad of responsibilities for the project. To learn about the project’s audiences, IAs should have access to the results of, or conduct: usability tests, card sorting exercises, stakeholder interviews, user polling, etc. The goal is to provide as much information about what factors are influencing the project as possible. Information architects need to know what people will do with your application, how people will use information provided by the application, and what mental models user’s create while using your application

. Analyze Data The IA takes knowledge gained from the discovery period to define what the site’s primary objectives are and how it will realize those goals. At this point, it’s helpful for the IA to work hand-in-hand with the designers, developers, and other members of the team with an interest in the project deliverable. By analyzing data, the IA may generate a set of user personas.
A user persona is a representation of the goals and behavior of a real group of users. In most cases, personas are synthesized from data collected from interviews with users. They are captured in 1–2 page descriptions that include behavior patterns, goals, skills, attitudes, and environment, with a few fictional personal details to make the persona a realistic character. For each product, more than one persona is usually created, but one persona should always be the primary focus for the design.

. Develop labeling/navigation/site structures Finally, an Information Architect will, in essence, architect the site. IAs will produce things such as site maps, site-flow diagrams, and wireframes to convey how the site will work from a practical perspective. Indeed, the best Information ARchitects will take all perspectives into account while creating these deliverables: business, technological, and social (user). From this point on, the IA will help make decisions about the overall direction the site gravitates towards. For example, the IA should be involved in periodically testing the site, reading the copy, and evaluating any user-testing that is occurring during development cycles.