Information Architecture — Method and Deliverable Templates
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Skill Resource |
| Source | ~/.copilot/skills/ux/references/method.md |
| Description | Not specified |
Source Content
Information Architecture — Method and Deliverable Templates
The fixed frameworks and output shapes that make IA results repeatable. Run the method, then fill the matching deliverable template verbatim — the structure does not change per request.
Contents
- The four IA systems
- Cognitive grounding
- IA audit deliverable
- IA design deliverable
- OOUX object model
- Validation methods
The four IA systems
Rosenfeld and Morville’s four systems are interdependent — a change in one ripples to the others. Audit and design all four, not just navigation.
- Organization — how content is grouped (by topic, task, audience, or sequence).
- Labeling — what each group and link is called.
- Navigation — how a user moves between groups.
- Search — how a user queries when navigation fails.
Cognitive grounding
- Miller’s 7±2. Working memory holds 5–9 chunks. Cap each navigation level at 7±2; beyond that, items drop out. Chunk deliberately.
- Cognitive load (Sweller). Extraneous load blocks comprehension. Reduce it with consistent labels, progressive disclosure, and clear parent-child relationships.
- Mental models (Norman). The user’s model must match the system’s. When they diverge, users blame themselves and fail silently. Label and group to match how users already think.
IA audit deliverable
Use for “what is wrong with how this is organized?” Fill every section.
1. Scope and jobs
- What was audited (the surface, its boundaries).
- The three most common jobs users arrive with.
2. Findings
| # | Issue | Arrival path | Principle | Severity | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The specific findability problem | Search / nav / direct link | The principle it violates | High / Med / Low | The concrete fix |
3. Object model
The domain nouns the structure is built on — see OOUX object model.
4. Recommended structure
The proposed taxonomy and navigation, with each level capped at 7±2 and a one-line rationale per grouping.
5. Validation plan
The test that would confirm the fix — see Validation methods.
IA design deliverable
Use for “how should this be organized?” Fill every section.
1. User jobs
The three most common jobs users arrive with, in their words.
2. Object model
See OOUX object model — the nouns come before any menu.
3. Taxonomy and navigation
The grouping and the nav structure. Each level ≤ 7±2, with a rationale per group and the depth justified.
4. Labeling
| Concept | Label (user language) | Why this label |
|---|---|---|
| The thing | What the user calls it | The evidence — a search term, a support ticket, a card sort |
5. Wayfinding
Breadcrumbs, the search-plus-navigation relationship, and the consistency rule (nav label = page H1 = tab title).
6. Validation plan
See Validation methods.
OOUX object model
Name the objects before the screens. For each object, list its attributes and its calls-to-action.
| Object | Attributes | Calls-to-action |
|---|---|---|
| The noun (e.g. Project) | The fields it carries | What a user can do to it |
Validation methods
- First-click test. Where do users click first for a given task? A correct first click strongly predicts task success.
- Tree test. Can users find an item in the proposed hierarchy, without visual design to help?
- Search-query audit. Do the real query terms match the labels? Mismatches reveal the user’s vocabulary.
- Card sort. How do users themselves group the content? Open sort for discovery, closed sort to validate a proposed taxonomy.