From “Redesigning Or Creating A Website? Here’s Why Information Architecture Should Be Priority #1: Columnist Shari Thurow explains information architecture, site navigation, and how they relate to one another.” Shari Thurow on February 13, 2015 at 10:37 am
http://marketingland.com/redesigning-creating-website-plan-information-architecture-117040?utm_campaign=feed-main&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
Of course, I am not saying to ignore the aesthetics of navigation design. Nor am I saying to ignore the user experience. What I am saying is to have a strong foundation that makes sense and is meaningful to users.
I think my colleague, Noreen Whysel, Community Manager for the OWASP Foundation, Operations Advisor for the Information Architecture Institute, and independent researcher, summarizes this well:
“Information architecture is getting people to the information they need quickly, easily and without a lot of hassle. It’s sort of like a good road map. But it doesn’t mean leaving out the scenic overlooks. I’m a big fan of brown highway signs and serendipity. Sometimes you need a big picture view or a detour to get a new perspective on what you are looking for.”
Amen to that, Noreen.