Information Architect in Web Design

The main job of the web information architect is to define the purpose of the site and to design how it will work. Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville, the principals of a consulting firm that specializes in information architecture design, define an information architect as a person who

1) Clarifies the mission and purpose of the site. What are the needs of the producer vs. the needs of the consumer? 2) Determines the content of the site and itspresentation. How will the information be conveyed--through words, images, audio, video, or a combination of these elements? How large will the site need to be? 3) Specifies how the user will find information. How will the site be organized? Will it be searchable? What will the navigation structure look like? 4) Determines how the site will grow and change. Will the navigation still work when content is added or removed? (11)

The information architecture should be transparent: a viewer notices the architecture only when it is not working. If on a college web site the user cannot find where the departmental pages are, then the user discovers that the information is poorly organized. However, if the user finds the page she is looking for, she is more likely to attribute her success to the eye-catching navigational button. When the architecture is working it is often incorrectly attributed to something else because these elements are difficult to measure and hard to compare (Rosenfeld and Morville 11). It is much easier to identify clear writing or attractive graphics than a successful navigational system. (1.11) Well-planned information architecture benefits consumers--they can effortlessly understand the site and quickly find the information they need. Poor information architecture results in confused and frustrated users who fail to return. (1.12) If the web site fails to attract or keep an audience, it is useless.