# Rule: Information Architecture

**Priority:** HIGH
**Category:** Information Architecture

## Description

Information architecture determines how content is structured, labeled, and navigated. If users can't find it, it doesn't exist.

## Navigation Structure

### Core Principles
- Limit primary navigation to 5-7 items
- Use clear, descriptive labels (nouns for sections, verbs for actions)
- Group by user mental models, not org charts
- Validate labels with card sorting and tree testing
- Provide breadcrumbs for hierarchies deeper than 2 levels

### Navigation Patterns
- **Top bar:** Best for 3-7 primary sections on desktop
- **Side nav:** Best for deep hierarchies or tools with many sections
- **Bottom bar:** Best for mobile apps with 3-5 primary actions
- **Hamburger menu:** Use sparingly; hides navigation and reduces discoverability
- **Tabs:** Best for switching between related views at the same level

### Mobile Considerations
- Use bottom navigation for 3-5 primary actions (most reachable)
- Reserve hamburger menus for secondary navigation only
- Highlight the current section in the navigation bar
- Ensure navigation doesn't consume more than 20% of the viewport

## Content Organization

### Organizational Principles
- **User-centric grouping:** Organize by user goals, not business departments
- **Progressive disclosure:** Show only what's needed; reveal details on demand
- **Consistency:** Same type of content in the same location across pages
- **Scannability:** Clear headings, short paragraphs, visual breaks

### Content Hierarchy
1. **Page title:** What is this page about? (one per page)
2. **Section headings:** Major content groups
3. **Supporting content:** Details within each section
4. **Related content:** Cross-links and supplementary information

### Information Scent
- Labels should clearly indicate what users will find
- Preview content where possible (descriptions, thumbnails, counts)
- Use "trigger words" that match user vocabulary
- Provide visual cues for content types (icons for video, PDF, external links)

### Search as Navigation
- Include search for products with more than 50 content items
- Provide autocomplete suggestions based on popular queries
- Show recent searches for returning users

## Common Mistakes
- Organizing navigation by internal team structure instead of user needs
- Using jargon or branded terminology users don't understand
- Hiding essential navigation behind a hamburger menu on desktop
- Deep nesting requiring more than 3 clicks to reach important content
- Mirroring the database structure in the UI
