Greysha

organizes and categorizes web site structure and content. The information architect is most active early in the design and planning phases of the project, developing content categorization schemes, consistent site terminology, content structure across the site, and site architecture diagrams that explain the overall site planning to both the sponsor and the web team members. Information architects also work closely with the site designers to craft page “wireframes,” the diagrammatic page grids that show how various areas of the page will be used to support site identity, navigation, and page content. Page wireframes form the crucial link between the overall site architecture and what the user sees on each page of the web site, determining how easily a user can find the site’s content and features and shaping the user’s overall experience. Information architects often have a background in library science, using controlled vocabularies, carefully designed content and navigation nomenclature, and search techniques to help users find relevant content. The primary deliverables from the information architect are usually charts and diagrams: site architecture overviews, page wireframes, and user interaction explanations. These visual representations of the site planning process are crucial to communicating site structure and user experience to both sponsors and other web team members, particularly the back-end technical developers who support the interactive elements of the site. Wireframes in particular are used by the usability lead to test design concepts with users