subject: Overview of the Duties within Website Architecture [print this page] The architecture of a website shows how the pieces of information are structured and organized, and how the users will navigate within the content. A website is analogous to a tree with intertwined boughs and branches, which you can get to, from the main trunk or another branch, in a nonlinear process. This allows the users to have the freedom to navigate the site in regard to their preferences.
The type of information content and presentation looked upon by the users are on the priority list. This helps the web architect to identify the types of information to include in the project and to establish basic web components like titles and headings. This will also aid the architect to determine how the information will flow within the website.
The website architect might also want to do informal survey and analysis to students, staff, faculty, and other related personas about the kind and the preferred structure of information they would look within the website. The architect might also want to review other websites that are similar to the one being created for additional tweaks. And this is called benchmarking.
Before developing a website project, it is highly recommended for the architect to establish the web architecture. In setting up website architecture, the architect must first consider the pieces of information the users will be looking for and what information does he want them to find. The list of types of information the architect plans to include within the website must be taken note of.
Then, the architect must cluster the pieces of information together. He must review the clusters and create categories for each group according to the content and relation to each other. After that, reconsider the usage of words for each category. Use concise but efficient titles that clearly and briefly describe what kind of information the users will expect to find under these titles created within the website architecture. Conciseness allows users to have all their needed information in a short period of time.
Lastly, organizing related information into small, coherent and logical units is both efficient and practical, rather than creating pages that make the users scroll for the bodies of texts which is an excruciating thing to do, especially when on a hurry. Website architecture, usually, is three pages of content or less if printed out in an appropriate size. However, this is not a firm rule, but is encouraged.
Overview of the Duties within Website Architecture
