How do you work with other professionals to create a cohesive user experience?

Creating a cohesive user experience (UX) is not a solo task. It requires collaboration and communication with other professionals who have different roles, perspectives, and skills. In this article, you will learn how to work with other professionals to create a cohesive UX, using information architecture (IA) as a common framework. You will also discover some tools and techniques that can help you align your IA with the goals, needs, and expectations of your team and your users.

Find expert answers in this collaborative article

Selected by the community from 3 contributions. Learn more

1 What is information architecture?

IA is the practice of organizing, labeling, and structuring the content and functionality of a website, app, or system. It helps users find what they need, understand what they can do, and navigate smoothly through the interface. IA also helps developers, designers, and content creators work together to create a consistent and coherent UX.

Add your perspective

Eva Hörner

Head of UX | Customer-Centric Product Strategy & Innovation
Report contribution
One thing I found helpful when structuring information architecture, is really think about the consumer, i.e. end-user. How will they want to navigate through the information or functionality you are offering, and what are some of the pathways you see them take to complete their tasks? At the surface level it might seem that IA is simply the structuring of information, content and/or functionality. But when emerging yourself into this, you will soon realise you will need to consider many different aspects if you want to do it well. The "How" becomes the key to success, in which you will need to have a thorough understanding of the end-user and their needs and goals, and align them with your business objectives.

Like

2 Why is information architecture important for collaboration?

Integrating IA into your UX is essential for both users and professionals. IA can assist in defining the scope and purpose of a project, communicating your vision to stakeholders, establishing a common language and terminology for your team, documenting design decisions and rationale, testing assumptions and hypotheses, and evaluating and improving UX over time.

Add your perspective

Eva Hörner

Head of UX | Customer-Centric Product Strategy & Innovation
(edited)
Report contribution
To create a site-map or tree structure of an application can be really beneficial to determine the scope of a project. It should serve as a guide during design and development and can be used as a tool to communicate to stakeholders and/or team members. I found that in regards to documentation, words on paper are nice, but visualisation works so much better for people to create a clear understanding, very quickly.

Like

3 How do you collaborate with other professionals using information architecture?

Collaborating with other professionals using IA involves three main steps: research, design, and evaluation. To approach each step successfully, you should begin by understanding your users, their goals, tasks, preferences, and pain points. Additionally, you need to analyze your content, its types, sources, formats, and relationships. Various methods and tools can be used to conduct user and content research such as interviews, surveys, personas, scenarios, content audits, and inventories. Involving your team and stakeholders in this process is essential; they should be aware of your findings and insights. After the research phase is complete, you can start designing your IA using techniques such as card sorting, tree testing, sitemaps, wireframes, and prototypes. Make sure to get feedback from your team and stakeholders as well as test your design with real users using usability testing, eye tracking and analytics. Documenting and explaining your design choices is also important; they should align with user and business goals. After launching the UX you should monitor and measure its performance using tools such as analytics, heatmaps and feedback forms. Furthermore, review and update the IA regularly to ensure that it meets the changing needs of users and the organization. Share results with team members and stakeholders so that future improvements can be planned.

Add your perspective

4 What are some challenges and best practices for information architecture collaboration?

Collaborating with other professionals using IA can be difficult, especially when you have different backgrounds, skills, opinions, and priorities. To overcome these challenges, it's important to establish clear roles and responsibilities for your team members and respect their expertise and input. Frequent and effective communication with your team and stakeholders is also key; using tools such as project management software, online platforms, and presentations can help. Additionally, you should use common standards and guidelines for your IA, such as accessibility, usability, and SEO; common formats and tools for deliverables; and common metrics and criteria for evaluation. Lastly, being flexible and open-minded, as well as ready to adapt and compromise when needed, is essential.

Add your perspective

5 How do you learn more about information architecture collaboration?

If you want to learn more about IA collaboration, you can read books and articles on IA, UX, and collaboration such as Information Architecture for the Web and Beyond, The Elements of User Experience, and Collaborative Information Architecture. Additionally, you can take courses and workshops on IA, UX, and collaboration, like Introduction to Information Architecture, UX Design Fundamentals, and Collaborative Design. Joining online communities and networks of IA, UX, and collaboration professionals is also beneficial; some examples include the Information Architecture Institute, UXPA, and IxDA. Lastly, attending events and conferences on IA, UX, and collaboration is a great way to learn more; some events to consider are World IA Day, UX Week, and Interaction.

Add your perspective

Eva Hörner

Head of UX | Customer-Centric Product Strategy & Innovation
Report contribution
In design I always say: surround yourself with good examples. You can learn a lot by taking an in-depth look at some great, easy to navigate, user-friendly websites or applications and how they have done it. Even better: comparing different ones to see what the differences are and reflecting on that.

Like

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How do you work with other professionals to create a cohesive user experience?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What is information architecture?

2 Why is information architecture important for collaboration?

3 How do you collaborate with other professionals using information architecture?

4 What are some challenges and best practices for information architecture collaboration?

5 How do you learn more about information architecture collaboration?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Information Architecture

More relevant reading

How do you work with other professionals to create a cohesive user experience?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What is information architecture?

2 Why is information architecture important for collaboration?

3 How do you collaborate with other professionals using information architecture?

4 What are some challenges and best practices for information architecture collaboration?

5 How do you learn more about information architecture collaboration?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills