Information Architecture & Content Redesign
⚫ My Process for IA Projects
How I Visualize IA in Component-Based Systems
When I work in a component-based CMS like Sitecore, visualization becomes an essential part of the process. Before I ever sketch a wireframe or propose a navigation model, I spend time getting familiar with the component library because components define the user experience just as strongly as hierarchy and labeling do.
Just like shelving and signage influence movement within a physical library, components influence how users move through a digital space.
To design effective IA, I need to know:
- what components exist
- what content fields they support (images, copy, links, CTAs)
- how rigid or flexible their layout is
- how components can be arranged or repeated
- what visual patterns they create
- what they allow — and don’t allow — authors to do
A component may seem small — a card, a grid, a CTA block — but the order, placement, and combination of components determines how a user scans and navigates a page.
This is especially important in projects without development budget
In many cases, like my proposed hospital template redesign, I need to create IA that uses only existing components. That means I must design around what is already available, not what could be built someday.
Because of this, I:
- build wireframes only with real components
- validate layouts in the actual CMS
- test how content authors will maintain the structure
- prioritize patterns that can be repeated across templates
This approach ensures that my IA is intuitive, technically feasible, and sustainable.
My Component-Based IA Framework
Here’s the structured process I follow for IA in modular systems:
1. Understand the System
- Audit templates and components
- Document constraints
- Learn authoring behaviors
- Identify fields that matter for IA (titles, tags, link fields, available taxonomy)
2. Connect User Needs to CMS Reality
- Identify top user tasks
- Match tasks to components that best support them
- Note any content that can’t be displayed with current tools
3. Establish Page-Level IA
- Arrange components to create hierarchy
- Determine what appears above vs. below the fold
- Create predictable, repeatable patterns
4. Wireframe Using Only Real Components
- Avoid theoretical layouts
- Visualize content blocks as “shelves” in a digital library
- Define wayfinding flows
5. Prototype in the CMS
- Validate spacing, flow, and readability
- Focus on scannability and CTA placement
- Test how templates behave in real authoring scenarios
6. Document for Long-Term Use
- Create usage rules
- Provide annotation for authors
- Explain why components appear in certain places
This framework keeps my IA grounded in the actual system and ensures that structures are consistent and scalable.
Bringing It All Together
My approach to IA is a blend of:
- librarian logic
- digital content strategy
- platform-aware execution
- component-driven visualization
Whether I’m designing a navigation model, creating a new page template, auditing content, or applying a taxonomy, I always combine the principles of classification with the practical constraints of the CMS.
It’s this balance — between structure and system — that allows me to create IA that is intuitive for users, maintainable for authors, and scalable for organizations.
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