Web Information Architecture
To quote WebMonkey, information architecture (IA) "is the science of figuring out what you want your site to do and then constructing a blueprint before you dive in and put the thing together."
Essentially, IA is the structure, hierarchy, labeling of elements, and navigation of a site. A site with well designed IA makes it easy for users to find what they're looking for and do what they need to do without confusion, frustration, and unpleasant surprises.
See:
- WebMonkey's Information Architecture Tutorial
- 10 Questions About Information Architecture
- Book: Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, by Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfield
