The Information architecture reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Information architecture

Sponsorship the way you would do it
Information architecture is the art and science of structuring knowledge (technically data) to be published in a web, and defining user interactions (also see use case).

In the context of Web design, information architecture is the organization of information to aid in information retrieval. A common example of this is the categorization of similar information into sections of a website, with those sections displayed in pages. Information Architects create a variety of project deliverables including Site Architecture Maps and Wireframes (also known as Page Schematics).

An Information Architecture Design Document template might look something like this:

  1. Goals
  2. User Experience (with Appendix A: Competitive Site Analysis)
  3. Site Content
    1. Content Groups by Labels
    2. Functional Requirements (with Appendix B: Content Inventory)
  4. Site Structure
    1. Structure listing or summary
    2. Architectural graphical views (blueprints)
    3. Global and local navigation schemes (with and optional Appendix C: Site Structure Listing

Information Architecture may well be viewed as an umbrella phrase, given its close resemblance to Information Technology, and all the catch-phrases IT conjures up.

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