Archinect's Lexicon focuses on newly invented or adopted vocabulary within the architectural community. For this installment, we're featuring a term that was coined by recent Archinect interviewee Richard Saul Wurman, and featured heavily in a book by recent Archinect interviewee Molly Wright Steenson.

"Information Architecture" is a specialized field of study and practice that focuses on the organization and structure of information in digital or physical environments. It involves designing, creating, and managing the structural design of shared information systems. Key aspects of information architecture include categorization, navigation, labeling systems, and searchability, with the goal of making information easily findable and usable for the intended users.

By providing clear, intuitive pathways and organizational strategies, good information architecture enables users to understand where they are, what they've found, what's around, and what to expect.

The relation of information architecture to traditional architecture can be understood through shared principles of structure and design. Just as architects plan and design spaces for people to use, information architects plan and design information spaces.

In traditional architecture, for instance, an architect designs a building taking into account its purpose (residential, commercial, educational, etc.), who will use it, how they will move around it, and the actions they will perform in it. Similarly, an information architect designs an information space with consideration for its purpose (entertainment, commerce, education, etc.), who will use it, how they will navigate through it, and the actions they will perform in it (searching for information, making purchases, communicating, etc.).

In both cases, there is a deliberate, thoughtful approach to creating spaces (physical or informational) that meet the needs of users in a logical and effective manner. The goal of both is to create environments that not only serve functional purposes but also enhance the user's experience. In the digital world, a well-designed information architecture can significantly improve user satisfaction, engagement, and overall success in achieving desired outcomes.

This article is part of the Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series.