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2.5 Design and Layout
When designing a Web site, it is critical to organize information in a way that is readily accessible to users. The structure in which information is organized is called the
information architecture. You structure the information that is published on a Web site within a
site framework in WCM, and this ultimately accessed through Web site navigation.
When planning the information architecture, an organization must determine the following information:
- The hierarchical structure of the site
- The functionality that is required on the site
- The look of individual pages
- How to classify the content
- The flexibility of the architecture to allow the business to evolve
The information architecture determines the structure of the site, how navigation is derived, and the ease of navigating the site. You develop the following information architectures when designing a content management system:
- Site framework
- Category hierarchy
- Document type hierarchy
Defining the information architecture lays much of the groundwork for how content is organized on a site. Regardless of where the content resides, you need a good understanding of the content that is to display.
For detailed information on how to determine a proper underlying information architecture - and to begin modelling the initial structure and design of your site - please refer to the following three articles in this wiki: