The ripple effect: how information architecture transforms your product, company, and (almost) everything
Introduction
Many companies, especially those started by engineers, initially focus on building a great product. However, as they grow, maintaining organized and scalable information architecture (IA) becomes challenging. This article highlights the importance of IA for a company’s success, using a mobile app company as an example to illustrate the issues and provide solutions. A well-structured IA ensures sustainable growth, user-friendly products, and aligned teams, ultimately enhancing the product, user experience, and overall organization for continued success.
The scenario
A company founded by engineers created a popular mobile app with innovative features, but as it grew, new functionalities were added organically, creating a complex and interconnected system. Despite user loyalty due to its niche status, some users became frustrated with navigation difficulties, scattered data storage, and organizational misalignment among teams. These issues highlighted the challenges of maintaining a cohesive information architecture as the company expanded.
But how can this happen?
The application happens to be an IoT (internet of things) management tool that enables users to automate their surroundings as well as manually adjust device settings. Introduced over a decade ago, it initially catered to early adopters transforming their environment with semi-automated features for novelty. As it gained popularity among mainstream users seeking enhanced comfort, the app matured significantly.
The development team generated numerous ideas for improving the app, interacting with users who reported issues and provided suggestions. The app evolved organically as users adapted to new features and user journeys, with little emphasis on logical flows or user experience flaws.
The ripple-effect
As the app grew, leadership recognized the need for a dedicated product team, including UX researchers, data analysts, and product designers. These experts provided valuable insights into user pain points and suggested improvements. However, management chose to use these resources to develop new features to stay competitive, which increased dissatisfaction among existing users. Instead of focusing on current user needs and satisfaction, they prioritized attracting new customers and expanding into new markets.
Illustrating the disregard for these critical issues, the information architecture audit was only initiated after a prolonged period of severe crisis. The lack of attention to this crucial detail resulted in an illogical application structure, leading to significant user experience issues. Users grew frustrated with the application and began abandoning it in search of better alternatives in the expanding market.
However, one particular designer - the author of this article - took initiative to investigate and map out the details. It was discovered that many features could be accessed from multiple screens, stemming from what seemed logical at the time due to their interconnected nature, though not optimally organized. Mapping out every screen and function revealed that identical functions were accessible both from top-level menus and submenus alike. When the designer asked why is this even possible, the answer for was:
“But what if the user wants to go to this screen either when they’re in the main menu or when they are at the bottom of some submenu?”
Wait, was that decision even logical? Did they think it was a good idea to allow access to every function from... anywhere?! Well, at some point, it made sense because users desired a highly customizable and flexible application to meet their varied needs. Instead of investing in UX research to understand user personas and their actual challenges, the team opted for a fully customizable approach.
The result? Imagine the complexity. This application morphed into a sprawling entity with intricate cross-connections, leading to utter chaos. Developers hesitated to modify certain parts of the code due to fear of unintended consequences, akin to a butterfly effect.
As you can see on the video above, the information architecture of this application is just… well, not simple. It has many levels, even more options and submenus and selection opportunities. Way too much for an ordinary user.
Now let us observe the connections and cross-dependencies in the application:
It’s obvious that there are screens which are accessible from multiple other screens. Instead of a simple navigation path, the user has the chance to discover other dimensions of the application - by getting lost.
The key to designing effective information architecture and user journeys is simplicity. We prioritize straightforward solutions and clear paths to assist users who seek quick and easy navigation. If an application is too complex, users will likely get lost, reducing their interest and engagement.
The problem with poor information architecture
Operational efficiency is the backbone of any successful organization. It refers to how well a company converts inputs (like time, labor, and materials) into outputs (products and services). Poor information architecture directly undermines this efficiency in several ways:
Time wasted: teams spend excessive time searching for information and duplicating work, frustrating customers with slow resolutions.
Resource drain: mismanaged information leads to repeated tasks, consuming extra resources and diverting developers from strategic projects.
Error rates: disorganized IA increases errors, causing reporting discrepancies, misinformed decisions, and potential revenue loss.
Delayed response: inefficient IA slows responses to market changes and customer feedback, risking the company’s competitive edge.
Strategic alignment is about ensuring that all parts of the organization are working towards the same goals. Poor information architecture can disrupt this alignment in several key ways:
Conflicting priorities: different teams handle information differently, leading to miscommunication and confusion about user needs and preferences.
Inconsistent objectives: lack of unified IA results in teams working towards different goals, undermining the company’s overall strategy.
Siloed information: ineffective data sharing creates information silos, preventing access to critical insights and blocking innovation.
Hindered collaboration: poor IA creates barriers like unclear documentation and inaccessible data, slowing down projects and reducing teamwork effectiveness.
Detangling the chaos: a step-by-step guide to improve information architecture
Once the team identified the complex information architecture as a key problem, they face the challenge: how to simplify the already existing, complex, multi-leveled ecosystem? The designer who was responsible for solving this problem, has introduced the following plan:
Conduct an IA Audit:
Establish the Inventory of the current content: make a catalog of all features, data, and user flows. The format almost doesn’t matter: let it be in an Excel or a table in Notion - the thing is that this Inventory will serve as the single source of truth later on.
Identify pain points: gather feedback from users and teams to pinpoint navigation and storage issues. These also should be categorized.
Map out the ‘as-is’ state: discover the current situation, establish a precise documentation.
Define clear IA goals:
User-centric design: prioritize user experience by streamlining navigation and ensuring intuitive access to information.
Consistency: establish consistent naming conventions, data structures, and information workflows across the app. This might start in Figma, when establishing the design system, or during redesigning the application. Even better if the brand colors are in line with the product colors, and the creatives use the same token.
Scalability: design an architecture that can accommodate growth and future enhancements without compromising usability or performance.
Create a unified information architecture plan:
Develop a content model: define how different types of information relate to each other. What kind of information can or should be used in certain scenarios?
Design a sitemap: define a map for the app’s structure, showing how users navigate between different sections. This can be built on the earlier IA audit. Keeping the earlier “as-is” map of the current IA in the archive, the team has the opportunity to draw something new from scratch, learning from previous mistakes.
Navigation design: establish intuitive navigation paths that facilitate easy exploration and interaction with the application, ensuring users can find information quickly and efficiently.
Implement structured data management:
Centralize data storage: use a unified database to store information consistently. This might help when using key/value pairs in the code or in the CMS.
Metadata and taxonomy: implement a robust system for tagging and categorizing information. This will help when searching for information (e.g. in case of support issues), as well as setting up new flows that should follow the same pattern.
Data governance: establishing policies and procedures to ensure data quality, integrity, and security throughout its lifecycle.
Establish governance and maintenance:
Assign responsibilities: designate team members or roles responsible for maintaining and updating the information architecture. Clearly define their roles and responsibilities.
Implement regular audits: conduct periodic audits to review the effectiveness of the information architecture. Identify areas for improvement, address issues, and ensure alignment with organizational goals.
Update documentation: maintain comprehensive documentation of the information architecture, including changes, updates, and guidelines. Ensure all stakeholders have access to updated documentation to support ongoing maintenance and governance efforts.
Cross-functional teams:
Workshops: host regular workshops with representatives from different teams to discuss and align on IA goals.
Shared goals: develop unified objectives linked to business goals to ensure all teams collaborate effectively.
Continuous communication: maintain open channels for ongoing communication and updates among teams using collaboration tools and shared documentation.
Raising IA to the next level: future steps
Once the company has stabilized its information architecture, it can take additional steps to further enhance its structure and organizational maturity:
Scalable design systems:
Component libraries: develop reusable UI components that adhere to the IA, ensuring consistency and efficiency in future development.
The design system can and should be in line with the branding/marketing content. Product design and marketing should hold hands, so that the company can build a consistent user-facing appearance. This comes with the benefit of simplifying the tokens, as well as having a confident user who knows what symbol means what.
Advanced data analytics:
User behavior analysis: leverage data analytics to gain deeper insights into how users interact with the app and identify areas for improvement.
Predictive analytics: use predictive models to anticipate user needs and proactively address potential IA issues.
Collaboration between departments:
Clarity and accessibility: clear IA ensures that information is organized and easily accessible across departments, reducing misunderstandings and facilitates smoother collaboration.
Consistency and alignment: coherent naming conventions, data structures, and workflows help departments understand processes and requirements, leading to more effective coordination and joint efforts on projects.
Information architecture applied: simplifying product design
The design team started to establish the design system, in order to be able to deliver features for the application quickly and smoothly. It soon became clear that design engineering also plays a huge role, when it comes to collaboration between the developers and the designers.
The developers helped the designers understand the logic of the code, and thus, the design engineer changed the logic of the components in the design system. They introduced certain phases for the documentation of components. Once a component was marked as “Ready for development”, a developer could have been certain that the given component is built up in a way that its implementation will be quick: it already uses tokens for colours and typography, as well as preset local variables. By utilizing this level of structured documentation, the developers could deliver these components easily, while the designers could build screens quicker than ever before.
The next level of improvement was when they introduced the template screens. These screens followed the structure of frequently used layouts. For example, there was a form screen that had a title, an optional description, the textfields and drop down menus, and the call-to-action button group. This simple layout was used many times across the application, so it was logical to define this as a template screen. After it was defined, the only thing the developers had to do was to build this screen, release it as a template and whenever a project utilized this, they just had to change the default content. The delivery time decreased by numerous percent.
Benefits for all
The data analytics team can benefit from consistent data structures and tagging improve the accuracy of data analysis, enabling deeper insights into user behavior and trends. A well-organized IA allows for more comprehensive and understandable reports, helping stakeholders make data-driven decisions. Clear IA supports advanced analytics techniques, such as predictive modeling, to forecast user needs and behaviors, aiding strategic planning.
With a coherent IA, product teams can access reliable data and user feedback, guiding informed decisions on feature development and prioritization. A clear IA facilitates better communication and collaboration with other teams, ensuring everyone is aligned on goals and project requirements.
As for the sales team, quick access to accurate customer and product data speeds up the sales process. Better tracking and prioritization of leads enhance follow-up efforts, that would also lead to stronger, personalized relationships (that are built on detailed customer data and insights). These unified goals and real-time feedback loops align sales and marketing efforts.
As the teams separately benefit from improved information architecture, so does the organization by having accurate information supports informed strategies and market adaptation and reduced redundancy and streamlined workflows boost productivity. These all lead to engaged, satisfied users, who want to stay with the company (and pay for its products and services).
Conclusion
A tiny pebble is dropped into a still lake, creating ripples across the surface. Similarly, a small shift in perspective can significantly impact information architecture. Simplifying and establishing logical connections can transform the entire user experience and improve how departments within the company operate. As the application's IA becomes clearer, other teams can be more involved in its design, increasing their interest and engagement with the product. A well-structured IA not only enhances end-user satisfaction but also positively affects the overall perception of the product.
If we ask our parents or grandparents, they can tell us that until the 1980s, every new development began with the preparation of a written System Plan. Before the first line of code was written, a document hundreds of pages long was completed on paper and approved by the client. A significant part of the system plan was the information architecture. All of this was swept away by the culture of “Quick development.” Now, the weaknesses of quick development are weighing on us. While we don't long for the hundreds of pages of system plans, tidying up the IA is essential: information architecture is the backbone of both a product and the organization that supports it. As seen in the case of the above company, addressing IA issues can lead to significant improvements in user experience, operational efficiency, and strategic alignment. By following a structured approach and continuously seeking innovative solutions, companies can not only detangle their current IA chaos but also elevate their organizational maturity, paving the way for sustained growth and success.
