Many companies, especially those founded by engineers, initially focus on building a great product. As they grow, however, maintaining organised and scalable information architecture (IA) becomes increasingly challenging. A well-structured IA ensures sustainable growth, user-friendly products, and aligned teams, ultimately enhancing the product, the user experience, and the organisation as a whole.
The scenario
A company founded by engineers created a popular mobile app with innovative features. As the product grew, new functionalities were added organically, resulting in a complex and highly interconnected system. Despite strong user loyalty, frustration emerged due to navigation difficulties, scattered data storage, and organisational misalignment between teams.
But how can this happen?
The application is an IoT management tool that allows users to automate their environment and manually adjust device settings. Initially built for early adopters, it later attracted mainstream users seeking comfort and convenience. As the app evolved organically, little emphasis was placed on logical flows, information architecture, or overall user experience.
The ripple effect
As growth accelerated, leadership introduced UX researchers, data analysts, and product designers. While these experts identified usability issues, management prioritised new features to remain competitive instead of addressing core structural problems. An information architecture audit was initiated only after a prolonged crisis, by which point user dissatisfaction had already grown significantly.
One designer took initiative and mapped the entire application. The audit revealed that many features were accessible from multiple locations, both top-level menus and deep submenus. When questioned, the rationale was flexibility — allowing access from anywhere. What once seemed logical evolved into overwhelming complexity.
The result was an application with intricate cross-connections and dependencies. Developers became hesitant to modify the codebase due to fear of unintended side effects, resembling a butterfly effect. Users, overwhelmed by complexity, began abandoning the product in favour of simpler alternatives.
The problem with poor information architecture
Poor information architecture directly undermines operational efficiency.
- Time wasted — teams spend excessive time searching for information and duplicating work.
- Resource drain — repeated tasks consume capacity that could be spent on strategic initiatives.
- Higher error rates — disorganised IA leads to reporting issues, misinformed decisions, and revenue loss.
- Delayed response — slow reactions to market changes reduce competitiveness.
Poor IA also disrupts strategic alignment across organisations.
- Conflicting priorities — teams interpret and manage information differently.
- Inconsistent objectives — lack of shared structure leads to diverging goals.
- Information silos — critical insights remain inaccessible.
- Hindered collaboration/B] — unclear documentation and inaccessible data slow progress.
Detangling the chaos: a step-by-step guide to improving information architecture
Once IA was identified as the root problem, the team faced the challenge of simplifying a complex, multi-layered ecosystem.
1. Conduct an IA audit — catalogue all features, data, and user flows; identify pain points; document the current state.
2. Define clear IA goals — prioritise user-centric design, consistency, and scalability.
3. Create a unified IA plan — develop content models, sitemaps, and intuitive navigation paths.
4. Implement structured data management — centralise data, apply metadata and taxonomy, and establish data governance.
5. Establish governance and maintenance — assign ownership, perform regular audits, and maintain documentation.
6. Enable cross-functional collaboration — host workshops, align shared goals, and maintain continuous communication.
Raising IA to the next level: future steps
Once stability is achieved, organisations can further mature their IA.
- Scalable design systems — reusable components aligned with IA and branding.
- Advanced data analytics — deeper insight into user behaviour and predictive capabilities.
- Cross-department collaboration — clarity, consistency, and alignment across teams.
Information architecture applied: simplifying product design
The design team introduced a structured design system to accelerate delivery. Design engineering bridged the gap between design and development, aligning component logic with code logic. Clear documentation and component readiness states significantly reduced development time.
Template screens were introduced for common layouts. Once defined, developers could reuse these templates with minimal changes, resulting in dramatic delivery speed improvements.
Benefits for all
Data analytics teams benefited from consistent data structures and improved reporting. Product teams gained clearer insights to guide prioritisation and decision-making. Sales teams accessed accurate, real-time data, improving lead management and customer relationships.
At the organisational level, streamlined workflows, reduced redundancy, and informed strategies boosted productivity. These improvements resulted in more engaged users who chose to stay with and invest in the product.
Conclusion
A small shift in perspective can create a powerful ripple effect. Simplifying and clarifying information architecture transforms not only user experience but also internal collaboration and organisational effectiveness. Information architecture is the backbone of both the product and the organisation behind it. By addressing IA deliberately and continuously, companies can detangle complexity, improve maturity, and pave the way for sustained growth and long-term success.