Information Architecture is often described as the art and science of organizing and labeling sources of information such as websites and software to improve usability and findability. A great IA is the gateway to constructing a reliable online community, and that requires advanced knowledge from fields even beyond just art and design, including principles taken from architecture and information science industries.
I think I can provide an example of this: when I am looking for new samples for music production online, it can often times be a discouraging experience. Many websites and service providers do not do a good job of intriguing music artists by failing to present how their sound are unique from competitors. That’s how a service called Splice has risen above the rest in the last 5 years — the subscription-based service serves as a platform for sound designers to upload to. Their sounds are then categorized into genres, styles, and brands. The front page of the website cycles through recommended sounds created for popular tracks daily, and there is also a popular chart so artists can see what sounds everyone else is using in the music industry. As a user, I can hear a snippet of any sounds on there whenever I am interested in something, even presents of synthesizers, and download them not in packs, but individually — which is a killer feature compared to the rest. In fact, Splice’s subscription price is actually pretty high compared to many services alike, but due how easy it is to find unique sounds with the most effective information layout on the market combined with clean UI and intuitive UX design, it was able to hold its crown for many years. In my opinion, this is a great example that I have experienced in which a great IA supported by interaction design formed the foundation of an industry-changing service.
