Cognitive Psychology in Information Architecture.
The image shows ‘Anjarai Petti’ from clay stove days.
Back then, This spice kit was the most important product in the Indian kitchen because it allows the cook to find all the required spices involved in the process of making curry. The spices are consciously picked and grouped together to not being frustrated for finding the missing one while cooking.
Also, this grouping method helps cook to speed up the process.
The image showing the drawer with labeled spice bottles in modern days.
Spices should be findable to use it at the right time of the cooking process to make a delicious dish.
Eighteenth-century or twenty-first century, Human mind always follows the cognitive pattern but just in a polished way.
Grocery store and Supermarket,
Different setting but the aim is to make the user find the product at the right place for them to purchase easily in any situation.
So, coming to the Information architecture,
IA is about helping people understand their surroundings and find what they’re looking for, in the real world as well as online.
In other words, Information architecture (IA) is the structural design of shared information environments; the art and science of organizing and labeling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability.
Cognitive Psychology is one among the Common Methodologies in Information Architecture.
Cognitive psychology is the study of how the mind works, and what mental processes take place there.
The key elements of cognitive psychology to structure information:
Cognitive load is the amount of information that a person can process at any given time. Keeping in mind the user’s cognitive load helps prevent information architects from inadvertently overloading a user with too much information all at once.
Mental models are the assumptions people carry in their minds before interacting with a website or application. Information is easier to discover when it is in a place that matches the user’s mental model of where it should be.
Decision making It’s a cognitive process that allows us to make a choice or select an option. Information architects can help us make decisions by providing certain information at key moments.
Conclusion
The topic of information architecture is wide and it is the core part of the powerful user experience design. Well-organized, well-structured content makes the site easier to use and more useful to the visitors. Consideration of mental categories influences how content is organized while factoring in visual perception, memory, semantic networks, and learning helps to guide labeling and interface decisions. Considering research and theory in cognitive psychology helps information architects create better user experiences, if only because it helps us ask more, and better, questions about what creates a good user experience.
