Second, we will learn about project management as it is used in the team-based development of complex web sites. From these two main themes, we will arrive at an initial understanding of information architecture for the web. We will then pursue our third task by focusing on the conceptual, technical, organizational, and social contexts that surround the development and maintenance of large-scale and complex web sites. When we are through, we will have a deeper understanding for the concept of information architecture and an appreciation for its use in the design of web-based information spaces. For a start, we can think about what is included in the term.
Information architects determine the functional and conceptual building blocks of a site.
Unlike Web designers who are concerned with typeface, graphics, and other particulars of constructing an interface, information architects create organizational and navigational structures that help people access information. Determines what content and functionality the site will contain Specifies how users will find information in the site by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems. Maps out how the site will accommodate change and growth over time. It is the blueprint of the site upon which all other aspects are built - form, function, metaphor, navigation and interface, interaction, and visual design. Initiating the IA process is the first thing you should do when designing a site.