Information Architects pre-date UX designers as a profession but many designers know embarrassingly little about it. I will walk you through my own journey to understanding IA as well as demonstrate card sorting, one of the most effective tools used to build information architecture.

1. What is information architecture?
Information ArchitectureIA

2. Jeff Humble
UX Designer, Head of Design
At CareerFoundry, we want to help everyone learn about the
power of design. Through online coursework and hands-on
practice, we strive to teach the skills that will make our
students employable and a force for good in the future.

6. I always wanted to be an architect

7. I always wanted to be an architect
Art BusinessArchitecture

8. I always wanted to be a builder

9. Graphic Design Architect

10. Graphic Design Architect

11. Graphic Design Architect
Art Business
Graphic
Design

12. Graphic Design Visual Design Web Design Interaction Design Product Design UX Design

13. Graphic Design Visual Design Web Design Interaction Design Product Design UX Design
Design Psychology
UX
Design

15. User Experience Design Information Architecture

16. User Experience Design Information Architecture
Digital
Information
OrganizationIA

17. Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture

24. Information Architecture:
1. The structural design of shared information environments
2. The synthesis of organisation, labelling, search, and
navigation systems within digital, physical, and cross-
channel ecosystems
3. The art and science of shaping information products and
experiences to support usability, findability, and
understanding

25. Librarian

26. Blueprint
What architects do for buildings,
information architects do for information systems

33. Information Architecture is all about ease of use
through planned structure

34. Why does information
architecture matter?

35. It’s 2004

42. Information Architect
UX Designer
Top Companies Employing
Information Architects

43. Information Architecture
out in the world

45. Showroom is
their main IA
approach

46. Showroom
categories
turn into
website nav

47. Showroom & Market
hall categories
turn into Catalog
table of contents

49. Organised Alphabetically by Artist?

50. Organise Autobiographically?

51. Organised Based on Artist, Album, Genre, and Song

52. The I.A. soon accommodated much more than just music

53. Music is still a part of the I.A. of Apple

55. BUILD 3 TEAMS
• graduate or post-graduate degrees
• languages spoken
• years at lufthansa
Go for diversity!

56. The first draft of anything is sh!t
-Ernest Hemmingway

57. IA Sorting Exercise
• Points for thinking outside the box
• Points for anything that gets a laugh
• Points for speed
1. Sort these pups into groups
2. Label the groups

58. Teams Present
• Points for thinking outside the box
• Points for anything that gets a laugh
• Points for speed

59. Reflect
• Do the categories make sense on their own?
• Is it easily accessible and findable?
• Does it allow for future growth?

60. Open Card Sort

61. CareerFoundry Sorting
Exercise
• Points for closest to the real thing
• No cheating
1. Put the pages (black text) into the pre-
defined groups (white text)

62. IA Sorting Exercise
• Points for closest to the real thing
• No cheating
1. Put the pages (black text) into the pre-
defined groups (white text)

63. Present
• Points for closest to the real thing
• No cheating

65. Reflect
• How could you improve the categories?

66. Closed Card Sort

67. Examples of Good IA

68. Examples of Bad IA

69. Best Good vs. Bad
IA Example
• Points for things that aren’t on the internet
• Points for things that I’ve never heard of
• Points for speed

71. Questions