![[information architecture]] To me, IA is about systematically removing barriers to understanding. That may involve tactical IA – creating controlled vocabularies and organization systems that foster data quality at a systems level. Or it may involve strategic IA – understanding complex systems through research, modeling those systems, and designing processes and programs to promote clarity and access in a complex information space. Architecting information requires understanding: 1. how to manipulate digital objects in information systems, and  2. how to organize and represent those objects in meaningful ways; So that: 1. the business can maintain and develop the information, and 2. information is more accessible, relevant, and useful to the user. There are also many more [[Information Architecture Definitions|definitions of information architecture]]. ## IA concepts ### Basic concepts - [[Data Information Knowledge Wisdom hierarchy]] - [[The Information Architecture domain]] - [[The infamous three circles of IA]] ### Tactical IA concepts - [[information organization|organization]] - [[labeling]] - [[search]] - [[navigation]] ### Strategic IA concepts - [[information management]] - [[governance]] - [[information strategy]] - [[research]] ### Tools of the IA trade - [[taxonomy]] - [[ontology]] - [[knowledge graph]] - [[content inventory]] - [[Concepts/metadata|metadata]] - [[modeling]] - [[language]] - [[IA is a way of seeing]] - [[ambiguity]] ### How IAs work Nate Davis has identified a [[Information Architecture Common Set|common set]] of skills and tasks that IAs do on any project. It is derived in part from his work on the classical and contemporary [[IA Schools of Thought]]. ## IA Resources - [[Information architecture resource list]] ## Books about information architecture - [[Books - Information Architecture|Information Architecture books]] - [[Books - Navigation and Search|Navigation and Search books]] - [[Books - Information Behavior|Information Behavior books]] - [[Books - Taxonomy, Ontology, Organizing Information|Taxonomy, Ontology, Organizing Information books]] ## Information Architecture Conference notes - [[IAC25]] - [[IAC24]] - [[IA Summit History notes|Links to previous IA conferences]] ## Taxonomy - [[Taxonomy Resources]] ## Navigation - [[Navigation menu order largely doesn't matter; what does matter is consistency]] - [[Effective navigation comes down to brand, consistency, and utility.]] - [[Designing Web Navigation - Optimizing the User Experience]] (book) --- **Relates to**: [[information architecture]]