UX design·Updated January 3, 2026

Information Architecture Planning

Design the information architecture for a website or application with navigation and content structure.

Use Case

Planning information architecture, organizing content, or redesigning navigation structures.

Prompt

Design the information architecture for [product/website]. Include:

1. Content Audit
   - All content types
   - Content categories
   - Content relationships
   - Content priorities

2. Navigation Structure
   - Primary navigation
   - Secondary navigation
   - Footer navigation
   - Breadcrumb structure
   - Sitemap hierarchy

3. Content Organization
   - Content grouping
   - Category structure
   - Tagging system
   - Search functionality

4. User Mental Models
   - How users think about content
   - Expected navigation patterns
   - User goals and tasks
   - Content discovery paths

5. IA Diagrams
   - Site map
   - Content hierarchy
   - Navigation flow
   - User task flows

6. Labeling System
   - Navigation labels
   - Category names
   - Content tags
   - Search terms

Format as a comprehensive IA document with diagrams and rationale.

How to use

1Replace [product/website] with your specific product (e.g., "our B2B SaaS dashboard" or "our e-commerce site")
2Add context before the prompt: Describe your current structure (if any), content types, and user goals. Example: "We have a SaaS tool with 5 main features: projects, tasks, team, analytics, settings. Users need quick access to active projects."
3If you have existing content: List your current pages/sections. Say "We currently have these sections: [list]. Reorganize this content."
4If you have user research: Paste interview notes or survey data about how users navigate. Say "Users mentioned they struggle to find [X]. Improve the IA."
5Paste the modified prompt into your preferred AI tool, like ChatGPT or Claude
6Review the IA structure: Check navigation hierarchy, content grouping, and labeling
7Ask for variations: Request "alternative navigation structures" or "mobile-first navigation approach"
8Export to sitemap tools: Use the IA as a blueprint for creating actual sitemaps or wireframes

Pro Tips

• Include user research: Paste interview quotes about navigation struggles for more user-centered IA
• Specify content volume: Mention "We have 50+ pages" or "Small site with 10 pages" to adjust IA complexity
• Request mental model analysis: Ask "How do users think about our content? What labels would they expect?"
• For existing sites: Paste your current sitemap and ask "Identify IA problems and suggest improvements"
• Save IA as living document: Revisit and update as you add new content or features

Related Prompts

Visual design

UI Layout & Composition Explorer

Three layout concepts (hierarchy-first, density, progressive disclosure), a recommended direction, grid spec, visual hierarchy ranking, and edge cases before detailed design.

visual-designlayoutcomposition

UX design