Structure the Content Hierarchy

Content hierarchy organizes information in a logical and user-friendly way. It determines the structure of menus, pages, and sections within your product.

Why it's Important

Reduces user frustration by making navigation intuitive.
Enhances user engagement by presenting information logically.
Aligns content organization with user priorities.

How to Implement

Inventory Content: List all pages, sections, or elements in the product.
Categorize Information: Group related content into categories.
Prioritize by Importance: Arrange categories based on user needs and business goals.
Create a Sitemap: Visualize the content structure in a flow diagram.
Validate with Users: Test the hierarchy using card sorting or tree testing.

Available Workshops

Card Sorting: Have users group content into categories.
Content Prioritization Workshops: Rank sections based on their importance to users.
Affinity Mapping: Identify patterns in how users perceive and group information.
Sitemap Creation Sessions: Collaborate with the team to build and iterate a sitemap.
Tree Testing: Evaluate the clarity of the hierarchy by testing it with users.

Deliverables

Detailed sitemap.
Organized content inventory.
Content hierarchy documentation.

How to Measure

User success rate in tree testing.
Feedback from usability testing sessions.
Alignment of content structure with user flows.

Real-World Examples

Amazon

Clear product categories (e.g., Electronics, Books) make its massive catalog easy to navigate.

Netflix

Organized content by genres, trending topics, and personalized recommendations.

Dropbox

Simple and intuitive folder hierarchy ensures easy file management.

Get It Right

Focus on user priorities when structuring content.
Keep the hierarchy simple and logical.
Continuously test and refine based on user feedback.
Collaborate with all teams for comprehensive input.
Validate with multiple user segments.

Don't Make These Mistakes

Overloading menus with too many options.
Grouping content based on internal jargon instead of user expectations.
Neglecting to test the hierarchy with real users.
Creating categories that are too broad or vague.
Ignoring secondary user needs in the hierarchy.