Information Architecture, 4th Edition

Part II. Basic Principles of Information Architecture

Thus far, we’ve discussed information architecture from a conceptual perspective: what its goals are, and how it can improve information-rich products and services. You should now have a good high-level understanding of what IA is.

In Part II, we’ll examine IA at a lower level, looking at four systems that are shared by most interactive information environments: organization systems, labeling systems, navigation systems, and search systems. We’ll also discuss thesauri, controlled vocabularies, and metadata—“invisible” systems that help shape the information environment behind the scenes.

These are the components that make up an information architecture. We’ll start by giving you an overview of these components and how they affect the overall experience of interacting with your information environment. Onward!