---
title: "information architecture | Skills We Assign For | Azendo"
description: "Information architecture — structure from user models, card sorting, plus the Azendo roles assigned for it."
url: "https://azendo.co/skills/information-architecture/"
---

[Skills](https://azendo.co/skills/) Design and research 

# information architecture.

Information architecture organises content and functionality so people can find things: navigation structure, labelling, grouping and the relationships between sections.

## Where information architecture fits on a long engagement.

The most common structural mistake is organising by the organisation. Navigation reflecting internal departments makes sense to the people who built it and none to a user who does not know which department owns what they need.

Card sorting and tree testing produce evidence rather than opinion. Card sorting shows how users group concepts; tree testing shows whether they can find things in a proposed structure. Both are cheap and both settle arguments that would otherwise run on seniority.

## What an assigned team does with information architecture.

Structure decisions are expensive to revisit once URLs are established and indexed. Reorganising navigation means redirects, lost search equity and re-learning for existing users.

Getting it evidenced early rather than reorganising later is why research and structure work are scoped together under [outsource ux design](https://azendo.co/services/ux-ui-design/).

## What we use information architecture for.

* Structure that matches user models Grouping tested rather than inherited from the organisation chart.
* Findability measured Tree testing establishing whether people can actually locate things.
* Labels users recognise Terms from research rather than internal vocabulary.

## How information architecture capacity is assigned.

Information architecture is assigned inside design capacity, with structural decisions evidenced before URLs make them expensive to change.

## Roles we assign information architecture for

* [UX Designer UX/UI design](https://azendo.co/services/ux-ui-design/ux-designer/)

## Service lines it sits in

* [UX/UI design](https://azendo.co/services/ux-ui-design/)

Capacity is agreed as a committed monthly capacity across a discipline, not per skill.

## Related in design and research

* [Storybook — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/storybook/)
* [Maze — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/maze/)
* [Hotjar — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/hotjar/)
* [usability testing — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/usability-testing/)
* [design systems — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/design-systems/)
* [design tokens — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/design-tokens/)
* [component libraries — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/component-libraries/)
* [Figma Dev Mode — skill we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/figma-dev-mode/)

## Tell us what your roadmap needs information architecture for.

A service delivery manager replies with the disciplines we would assign, the monthly capacity and what the first month looks like.

[All skills we assign for](https://azendo.co/skills/)