Skill: information-architecture

What I do

I help you organise and structure content so users can find what they need with minimal effort. I focus on creating logical hierarchies, clear labelling systems, and intuitive navigation paths. I ensure that the way information is presented matches how users think about the domain.

When to use me

• When you're designing the navigation for a complex documentation site.
• When you're categorising large sets of files or data.
• When you're creating a search experience that needs to be more than just keyword matching.
• When you're deciding how to group features or settings in a user interface.

Core principles

1. Mental model alignment, structure information according to how your users perceive the system, not how the database is built.
2. Progressive disclosure, show only what's necessary at any given moment to avoid overwhelming the user.
3. Consistency and predictability, use familiar terms and patterns so users can predict where to find information.
4. Contextual wayfinding, always let the user know where they are, where they can go, and how to get back.

Patterns & examples

Content hierarchy

Organise information from general to specific.

• Global, highest level categories (e.g., Guides, API Reference, Tutorials).
• Local, sub-sections within a category (e.g., Authentication, Data Fetching).
• Contextual, links to related topics based on the current page.

Labelling systems

Use clear and descriptive labels that avoid internal jargon.

• Good, "User Settings", "Project Configuration".
• Bad, "Account Management Module", "Global Config Flags".

Search vs Browse

Design for both discovery paths.

• Search, optimized for users who know exactly what they want.
• Browse, optimized for users who are exploring or don't know the exact term.

Breadcrumb trails

Always provide a path back to the home page or parent category.

• Example, Home > Documentation > API > Authentication

Anti-patterns to avoid

• ❌ Deep nesting, buried content is hard to find and frustrates users. Keep hierarchies shallow.
• ❌ Ambiguous labels, terms like "Misc" or "Other" become dumping grounds for unrelated content.
• ❌ Inside-out design, structuring the UI based on your internal team structure rather than user needs.
• ❌ Hidden navigation, hiding main menu items behind icons or sub-menus without a clear reason.

KB Reference

~/vaults/baphled/3. Resources/Knowledge Base/AI Development System/Skills/Domain-Architecture/Information Architecture.md

Related skills

• ux-design, for designing the interaction layer.
• documentation-writing, for the actual content creation.
• domain-modeling, for aligning technical structures with business logic.
• systems-thinker, for understanding complex interconnections.