Designing a website architecture is one of the critical stages of design development. The responsibilities of a web designer include creating beautiful shapes and coloring buttons and developing the website's structure, and building logical connections between web pages. This can be compared with engineering: when developing a product, you should think not only about the artistic side but also about the practical one.
In today's post, you will learn what the site structure and information architecture are, what principles should be taken into account when creating these vital design elements, and how to check whether your website design is effective.
Contents:
- What is the information architecture of the website, and how is it related to the website structure;
- Principles of creating the right website structure;
- Create convenient designs;
- Choose correct shapes and colors;
- Put yourself in the place of a user;
- Create counter pages;
- How to check the effectiveness;
- Results.
What is information architecture?
The website's architecture is an information structure that clearly shows the website's main sections and the relationship between them. By creating it, you can understand how the user's journey begins and how the parts will be connected. For example, let's have a look at Amazon's website structure.
It clearly shows that the user:
- First gets to the main page;
- Then it goes to the desired category, their account, or list of desired products;
- Having selected the product, they proceed to the order form. In the case of going to the “Your Account” section, all orders and a wishlist (a list of desired products) are displayed.
Designing the architecture allows you to show the general logic of the user's interaction with the website. A well-created structure is based on several rules that are going to be discussed in the next section.
The principles of creating the right website structure
When developing the architecture of a web resource, the best web design agencies adhere to proven principles. The main point can be expressed in a few words – make it clear, solve the user's problems, and make them think less. Let's move on to a more detailed consideration of the rules.
Create convenient designs
When designing the structure, take care of the convenience of the visitor. Please make it so that they can easily find the desired section, perform the necessary action, and find the information that interests them.
When creating navigation, try to reduce the number of clicks required for the user. Most experts recommend designing it so that the visitor does everything that is needed in 2-3 clicks.
Pick the right shapes and colors
Get rid of unnecessary web forms and other elements. The more information there is, the easier it is for a new user to get lost. Do not overload the website with information.
Colors can also be distracting and overwhelming. Use a natural color palette. When creating a design, use a palette designed for your target audience.
Tip: it is recommended to set up additional functions on your web resources like autosave and validation. They will simplify the use of the website and help the user not to waste time re-entering the necessary data.
Put yourself in the place of a user
Imagine you are the user. What would you be looking for? What needs does the visitor of your site want to satisfy? Based on the answers to these questions, create an information architecture and overall site interaction.
A satisfied user will be much more willing to use the site, and high retention rates will have a good effect on SEO indicators.
Create counter pages
“Counter” web pages contain all the necessary information about the remaining sections of the site. They provide most of the links to the website's sections and briefly describe what you could access by these links. Design the main page for the website where the information about the content present on the web resource is located.
This will simplify navigation for users and allow them to get to the desired section in 1-2 clicks.
How to check the effectiveness
One effective way is to conduct A/B testing. With it, you can check the usability of your site. It is also possible to announce a test suite among users. Signed-in visitors will check the functionality of your website, its capabilities, indicate errors.
Tip: check not only the desktop version but also the mobile version of the website. They should load and work equally well.
Final thoughts
When creating a website's structure, think about your visitor and their convenience. Try to make the whole interaction as simple as possible and not waste a lot of their time.
When thinking about the functionality, do not forget about the aesthetic taste of your target audience. The design should meet the expectations of users looking for a website to solve a specific problem.
