Three essential decisions determine a web site's content and guide the site's organizational framework: 1) who the target audience is, 2) what the audience wants and needs, and 3) what information the site will contain. And although many people first notice the site's graphics, it is the organization of the material that will have the greatest impact on the user's experience (Lynch and Horton 23). (4.1)

It is the information architect's job to make the complex clear. To simplify complex information, the designer must organize and structure the information before making a decision about the visual presentation: "The web designer of a large-scale information [site] needs to pre-visualize the web site, organizing the information or activities into an obvious navigable structure for the users" (Sano 85). A web site must meet the needs of the user. The design of the site must be centered around these needs--the information that the audience wants must be the most prominent element on the homepage. (4.2)

Methods of Organizing Information

"The way we organize, label, and relate information influences the way people comprehend information … [information architects] organize information so people can find the right answers to their questions" (Rosenfeld and Morville 22). Thus, a web site will function well only with a solid and logical organizational system that the user can understand and follow.