Brief History of Information Architecture

Information architecture is essential to us as UX designers. We define Information architecture or IA as a professional practice and a field of studies focused on solving the fundamental problems of accessing and using, the vast amounts of information available today. Information architects label or tag, organize and structure information so the user gains access to it. As a UX designer, we use the IA information to enhance the user experience. Information architects do not always accomplish this task because their primary task is to compile the information as they see fit not so much for a user-friendly application.

Architect Richard Saul Wurman coined the modern use of the term information architecture in 1976. He is known today as one of the founders of TED (Technology Entertainment Design) conferences. In an interview with social futurist and game designer, Dirk Knemeyer in 2004, Wurman said: “The common term then was ‘information design.’ What got confusing was information design and interior design and industrial design, at that moment and still today in many and most people’s minds, are about making something look good. After further research, Wurman wrote an article with Joel Katz entitled “Beyond Graphics: The Architecture of Information,” which was published by the AIA Journal in 1975 a year before he confirmed it as Information Architecture. In 1997, Wurman published, Information Architects, describing what the role consisted of by making the complex clear, addressing needs of clarity for better human understanding, creating a structure or map, organize patterns of inherent data.

As a UX/UI designer, Information Architecture evolves around the audience. The organization of information follows a clear purpose which is to help users navigate through complex information to make decisions quickly. UX/UI designers need information architecture to design a solid sitemap to produce the best user-centric experience or products possible.