Beyond the Simple Site Map

When a business is ready to have their website designed (or redesigned), often they'll have a site map set. They have an idea of the pages they want or need on the site. And while this is never a bad thing, per se, it's a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to site organization, structure and usability. When web designers take the client-created site map and solely use that as their basis for the development of the site not only are they doing an injustice to the client and to the web design process, they're setting themselves up for drawn out development phases that will inevitably frustrate them and the client. And it could have been reduced, if not completely avoided, by a proper IA (Information Architecture) phase¹.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that site maps and IA are often confused by clients and developers/designers alike. A site map is a little like the directories and maps you find at shopping malls. Actually, it's a lot like that. Sure, they tell you where you can find things, but it won't tell you more than that. A proper IA phase is a lot more than a simple site map of what pages or sections a site will have. There are other intricacies that matter and lead to a good user experience and a good site for the client. A thorough IA process:

• Asks "what if" scenarios and answers them;
• Shows pathways for calls to action and conversions;
• Gives high and low priorities for specific page types and sections;
• Determines proper URL structures;
• Address the less frequent pages such as errors and search results among others.

Some developers may say that a thorough IA phase isn't as critical for a small business website, particularly for clients that insist they know nothing or close to nothing about web development. But I disagree. Part of our job as web designers/developers is to help our clients' business' grow. Some clients do give off that vibe of being indifferent or just not fully understanding, but if we're patient we can teach them that IA is crucial if they expect their site's to work well for the people who will be using it: their customers. This is true regardless of site or business size. A small business with a small site may have fewer pathways and URLs and an overall shorter IA phase, but it's still significant nonetheless.

In the end, it's not about dismissing a client's ideas of the flow of the site. The client's site map is a great place to start - they know their business and customers better than any designer ever could. But extending their site map into a fuller, more complete IA process not only addresses the above but also gives room for an objective opinion and allows clients to see things from a visitor's point of view. Being able to see things from the user's perspective is critical in order for a good experience and a site that will hopefully grow and be prosperous.

 

 

¹ Information architecture (or IA) is the science (or art form, depending on who you ask) of defining the structure, organization, navigation and labeling of a website. A good Information Architect will do more than just define the site's structure (as in a simple site map), but will also determine where the content should go and how to accommodate future growth while keeping usability best practices in mind.