A plea for the lost practice of information architecture

The article discusses the decline of information architecture (IA) in web design, using the Winchester Mystery House as a metaphor for the chaos that can arise from a lack of planning. The house, built incrementally without a cohesive design, exemplifies the pitfalls of neglecting IA, leading to confusing and unusable spaces. The author reflects on their experience transitioning from traditional web design, which emphasized content audits and site maps, to agile methodologies that often overlook these foundational elements. This shift has resulted in many projects lacking clear navigation and structure, leading to user frustration.

The author traces the erosion of IA back to the late 2000s when the role of information architects began to merge with user experience (UX) designers, diminishing the focus on structured information. The rise of agile practices and frameworks like GOV.UK further contributed to this trend, prioritizing rapid iteration over comprehensive planning. Despite the benefits of agile, the author argues that it often neglects the necessary architectural considerations that ensure usability.

The article also highlights a broader trend in the design community, where the emphasis on high-fidelity prototyping overshadows the importance of IA. The lack of visibility and promotion of IA as a discipline has led to a generation of designers who may not fully understand its significance. The author calls for a renewed focus on IA to prevent the creation of disorganized and ineffective digital spaces.