information-architect

Information Architect

Make complex products feel simple by giving users a consistent mental model: clear hierarchy, stable navigation, predictable labels, and strong wayfinding.

This skill is for designing the structure (what goes where and why). Pair with frontend-design when you also need a UI/visual redesign.

Quick Start (do this first)

1. Ask up to 5 questions:

• Who are the primary users and their top 3 jobs-to-be-done (and what must feel “easy”)?
• What surface is this (web app, marketing site, docs/KB, mobile app)? Any SEO, i18n, or accessibility constraints?
• What exists today (current nav/sitemap), what’s broken, and what must not change?
• What are the “things” in the system (entities/content types) and what are the “actions” users do to/with them?
• Any hard constraints: permissions/roles, compliance, product strategy, roadmap, or analytics targets?

2. Choose one primary organizing principle (one “north star”):

• task-first, object-first, lifecycle-based, audience-based, or frequency-based (see references/ia-models-and-principles.md)

3. Produce the minimum set of IA artifacts (in this order):

• IA thesis (1–2 sentences): the organizing logic + how users will find things
• Map: sitemap/app map (SITEMAP.mmd; template in assets/ia-docs/)
• Navigation spec: global + local + contextual nav rules (NAVIGATION.md; template in assets/ia-docs/)
• Labeling & naming rules: consistent labels, verbs/nouns, capitalization (references/labeling-and-microcopy.md)
• Taxonomy/metadata (only if needed): tags/facets + ownership rules (TAXONOMY.csv; template in assets/ia-docs/)

Guardrails (utmost simplicity)

• Prefer fewer, clearer choices over “complete” categorization. Users scan; they don’t read.
• Keep top-level navigation small and stable. If everything is top-level, nothing is.
• Don’t mix organizing principles at the same level (e.g., “By Team” next to “Settings” next to “Reports”).
• Avoid duplicate pathways unless the user benefit is explicit (and labeled consistently).
• Use progressive disclosure: reveal complexity when it becomes relevant; keep early steps lightweight.
• Names are UX: labels must match user language, not org structure or internal terminology.
• Optimize for wayfinding: users should always know where they are, what’s here, and what’s next.
• When in doubt, scan references/anti-patterns.md and delete complexity.

Workflow

1) Frame the problem with evidence

• Inventory the current structure:
  • Pages/routes, features, docs sections, settings, admin areas, and entry points
  • User roles/permissions and their access differences
• Collect signals:
  • Top tasks, search logs, support tickets, analytics funnels, “where did you expect to find this?”
• Output:
  • A scoped inventory (CONTENT_INVENTORY.csv; template: assets/ia-docs/CONTENT_INVENTORY.csv)
  • A short problem statement: what is hard to find/understand today and for whom

2) Define the mental model (what the product is)

• Decide what your system is “about” in user terms:
  • What are the primary entities (things) and primary actions (verbs)?
  • What are the stable categories vs dynamic filters/tags?
• Write the IA thesis (1–2 sentences):
  • Example: “Organize by customer lifecycle; use role-based entry points; keep tools contextual to the object.”
• Output:
  • Draft entity list + relationships (CONTENT_MODEL.md; template: assets/ia-docs/CONTENT_MODEL.md)

3) Design the structure (map → navigation → page types)

• Start with the map:
  • Sitemap/app map that shows hierarchy, not pixels (SITEMAP.mmd; template: assets/ia-docs/SITEMAP.mmd)
• Then define navigation layers:
  • Global nav: 5–7 items max unless there’s strong evidence otherwise
  • Local nav: within a section (tabs/side nav) based on section tasks
  • Contextual nav: within an object/workflow (e.g., “Actions”, “Related”, “History”)
• Define page types and hierarchy:
  • Landing/overview pages should answer “what can I do here?”
  • Detail pages should be object-first (what it is) then actions (what I can do)
• Output:
  • Navigation rules + “what belongs where” (NAVIGATION.md; template: assets/ia-docs/NAVIGATION.md)

4) Create the classification system (only as complex as needed)

• Choose the lightest taxonomy that supports the jobs:
  • Categories for stable groupings, facets for filtering, tags for loose labeling
• Define ownership and governance:
  • Who can create tags? Who merges/renames? What’s the deprecation process?
• Ensure search and IA agree:
  • If search is critical, design facets and result grouping intentionally (see references/search-and-filters.md)
• Output:
  • Taxonomy + facet definitions (TAXONOMY.csv; template: assets/ia-docs/TAXONOMY.csv)

5) Validate quickly (before polishing)

• Run “findability” checks:
  • Tree-test critical tasks (“Where would you click to…?”)
  • Card sort when categories are unclear or political
• Look for: wrong first clicks, label confusion, deep nesting, and duplicate categories.
• Output:
  • A short change log: what changed and why (DECISIONS.md; template: assets/ia-docs/DECISIONS.md)
• When to read more: load references/research-and-validation.md for scripts and facilitation tips.

6) Handoff for design + engineering (make it shippable)

• Provide implementation notes:
  • Route/URL conventions, nav component requirements, permission rules, redirects/deprecations
  • Analytics: name key events by task and surface
• Coordinate with UI:
  • Pair with frontend-design to ensure visual hierarchy supports the IA hierarchy (no competing CTAs, clear headings, consistent surfaces).
• Output:
  • A single IA package under docs/ia with the artifacts above (use the scaffold tool below)

Optional tool: scaffold an IA documentation pack

python ~/.codex/skills/information-architect/scripts/scaffold_ia_docs.py . --out docs/ia --force

Definition of Done

• Users can correctly predict where the top tasks live (and are right most of the time).
• Global navigation is stable, small, and uses user language (not org charts).
• Each section has a clear purpose, clear entry points, and no “misc dumping ground”.
• Taxonomy (if present) has ownership rules and avoids tag sprawl.
• The IA maps cleanly to routes/pages/components and can be implemented without guesswork.

Deliverables (how to present results)

• Start with the IA thesis + the organizing principle.
• Provide the sitemap/app map and navigation rules.
• Call out key trade-offs and open questions.
• List files/docs produced (prefer docs/ia/*).

Bundled Resources

• Models + principles: references/ia-models-and-principles.md
• Labeling + microcopy rules: references/labeling-and-microcopy.md
• Search + filters guidance: references/search-and-filters.md
• Research methods (tree testing, card sort): references/research-and-validation.md
• Anti-patterns (what to avoid): references/anti-patterns.md
• Restructures and migrations: references/migration-and-governance.md
• Doc templates: assets/ia-docs/