usability services

project types

How do you know your information needs restructuring?

Do you often find that you don't know where to put new information or menu items? Adding a few pieces of information should not require you to rethink the whole structure of your project.

One trait of good information architecture is its ability to adapt and change. If you encounter these problems then you will benefit from reassessing your site and its content.

A recent survey found that more than 83% of users will abandon a website if they feel that it takes too long to find what they're looking for due to poorly organised site structure and navigation.
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By understanding your business objectives, common user tasks, and technical constraints, I can focus on content and functionality that is most valuable, and allows me to make recommendations for you to implement.

I can also perform content audits to find out what types of information exist and how they are related. Then I'll conduct user research to identify what users want and how they expect to get it.

By mapping how users expect to find information and the information you currently have I can improve the structure of the information and also identify gaps or redundant information.

Users won't be able to find their way around your site if they can't understand the labels, descriptions and terminology you use. I'll survey users and learn how to speak their language. I'll capture this in a style guide (or controlled vocabulary) that you can use throughout your business to ensure consistent communication.

Throughout the entire process I'll be testing my design to ensure that it meets your objectives. I'll use different techniques to address different aspects of the design. For example, I'll test prototypes to see whether navigation is efficient, test whether content groupings are logical, and surveys to test whether labels are intuitive.

A full-scale information architecture design takes 1-3 months, depending upon the size and complexity of your website. But if you're pushed for time, I can turn things around faster by adjusting scope to fit your time constraints.