Web Architecture Glossary
Comprehensive definitions of important terms and concepts in web architecture, information design, and user experience
Welcome to our comprehensive Web Architecture Glossary. This resource provides clear definitions for terminology related to website structure, information organization, technical architecture, and user experience design. Whether you're a business owner, developer, designer, or content strategist, this glossary will help you understand the language of web architecture.
A
Accessibility
The practice of designing websites and applications to be usable by people with disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities. Web accessibility involves implementing standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to ensure that all users can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with a website.
In web architecture, accessibility considerations should be built into the structural foundation of a site, addressing navigation systems, content organization, and technical implementation to support assistive technologies like screen readers.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of protocols, routines, and tools that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. In web architecture, APIs enable integration between website components and external services or systems. They provide standardized methods for requesting and exchanging data, allowing for functionality like payment processing, social media integration, or connecting to backend databases.
Well-designed API architecture is crucial for creating flexible, modular web systems that can adapt to changing requirements and integrate with third-party services.
Atomic Design
A methodology for creating design systems by breaking down interfaces into fundamental components that can be combined to create more complex UI elements and templates. Developed by Brad Frost, the atomic design approach uses a chemistry-inspired hierarchy: atoms (basic HTML elements), molecules (simple groups of UI elements), organisms (complex UI components), templates (page-level objects), and pages (specific instances of templates).
This approach creates a systematic way to build consistent interfaces and is especially valuable for large websites with complex design needs.
B
Backend
The server-side aspect of a website that handles data processing, business logic, database operations, and server configuration. The backend is not visible to users but powers the functionality they interact with. It includes server-side languages (like PHP, Python, Ruby, Node.js), databases, APIs, and server infrastructure.
In web architecture, backend design focuses on creating robust, secure, and scalable systems that can efficiently handle data and business operations while providing reliable services to the frontend.
C
Card Sorting
A user research technique used in information architecture to understand how users categorize and group content. Participants are given cards representing content items and asked to organize them into categories that make sense to them. There are two main types: open card sorting (users create and name their own categories) and closed card sorting (users sort items into predefined categories).
This research method helps information architects create taxonomies, navigation structures, and content hierarchies that align with users' mental models rather than internal organizational structures.
Caching
The process of storing copies of files or data in a temporary storage location (a cache) so they can be accessed more quickly. In web architecture, caching is used to improve performance by reducing the need to generate or fetch the same content repeatedly. Common caching approaches include browser caching, CDN caching, server-side caching, and application-level caching.
An effective caching strategy is a critical component of technical architecture, particularly for high-traffic websites or those with computationally intensive operations.
Content Audit
A systematic review of all content on a website to evaluate its quality, relevance, accuracy, and performance. Content audits typically involve creating an inventory of existing content, assessing each piece against defined criteria, identifying gaps or redundancies, and making recommendations for improvement.
In information architecture, content audits provide essential insights for reorganizing site structure, developing taxonomies, and planning content migrations. They are often performed at the beginning of redesign projects to understand the current state before planning the future state.
Core Web Vitals
A set of specific metrics developed by Google to quantify the user experience of a web page. The three Core Web Vitals are Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measuring loading performance, First Input Delay (FID) measuring interactivity, and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measuring visual stability.
In web architecture, especially technical architecture and performance optimization, Core Web Vitals have become crucial considerations as they directly impact both user experience and search engine rankings.
I
Information Architecture (IA)
The structural design of information environments. In the context of websites and applications, information architecture focuses on organizing, structuring, and labeling content to help users find information and complete tasks efficiently. It encompasses the creation of taxonomies, hierarchies, navigation systems, and metadata frameworks.
Information architecture serves as the foundation for user experience, determining how content is organized, how users navigate through a site, and how information is presented and connected. Effective information architecture aligns with users' mental models, making information intuitive to find and understand.
Information Scent
The extent to which users can predict what they will find if they follow a certain navigational path in a website. Derived from information foraging theory, information scent refers to the cues (like link labels, images, or metadata) that help users decide whether to pursue a particular path to find the information they seek.
Strong information scent guides users efficiently through a site, while weak or misleading scent leads to confusion and abandonment. In information architecture, creating clear and accurate information scent is essential for effective navigation design.
M
Mental Model
A person's internal understanding of how something works based on their knowledge, experiences, and beliefs. In web architecture, mental models refer to how users expect a website to be organized and how they think information should be structured and presented.
Effective information architecture aligns with users' mental models rather than forcing them to learn new models. Research techniques like card sorting help uncover these mental models, allowing designers to create intuitive structures that match user expectations.
Microservices Architecture
An architectural approach where an application is built as a collection of small, independent services, each running in its own process and communicating through well-defined APIs. Each microservice focuses on a specific business capability and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
In web architecture, microservices provide benefits like improved scalability, easier maintenance, technology flexibility, and resilience. However, they also introduce complexity in terms of service coordination, data consistency, and operational overhead.
N
S
Sitemap
A visual or textual representation of a website's structure, showing the hierarchical relationship between pages and content sections. Sitemaps come in two main forms: visual sitemaps used by designers and developers during the planning process, and XML sitemaps used to help search engines discover and index website content.
In information architecture, sitemaps are essential planning tools that document content organization, establish page hierarchies, and illustrate navigational relationships. They serve as a blueprint for the website's structure before implementation.
Semantic HTML
The use of HTML markup that reinforces the meaning of content rather than just defining its appearance. Semantic elements like <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section>, <article>, and <footer> provide context about the content they contain, indicating their role within the document structure.
In web architecture, semantic HTML is fundamental for accessibility, SEO, and maintainability. It helps screen readers interpret content correctly, provides meaningful structure to search engines, and makes code more readable and maintainable.
T
Taxonomy
A classification system that organizes content into categories and establishes relationships between them. In information architecture, taxonomies provide the framework for content categorization, filtering, and browsing. They include hierarchical structures (like categories and subcategories), flat structures (like tags), and faceted classification systems.
Well-designed taxonomies improve content findability, support meaningful navigation, and create contextual relationships between content items. They should reflect users' mental models and the natural organization of the subject matter while supporting business goals.
Technical Architecture
The structural framework that defines how technical components of a website or application are organized, integrated, and interact with each other. Technical architecture encompasses technology stack decisions, code organization, server infrastructure, database design, security measures, and integration approaches.
Effective technical architecture balances performance, scalability, maintainability, and security while supporting user experience goals and business requirements. It provides the foundation that enables functionality, performance, and reliability.
Tree Testing
A usability research method that evaluates the findability of content within a website's navigation structure. Participants are presented with a text-based version of the site hierarchy (without visual design elements) and asked to find specific information by navigating through the structure.
Tree testing provides insights into whether the site's organization and labeling make sense to users, helping identify navigation issues before implementation. It's often used to validate information architecture decisions and is complementary to card sorting.
U
URL Structure
The organizational pattern of website addresses (URLs) that reflects the site's content hierarchy and helps users and search engines understand content relationships. A well-designed URL structure is logical, readable, and reflects the path through the information hierarchy that leads to a specific page.
In information architecture, URL structure planning is essential for creating intuitive, SEO-friendly addresses that provide context about content location and relationships. Good URL structures are typically hierarchical, descriptive, and avoid unnecessary parameters or session IDs.
Usability
The extent to which a website or application can be used by specified users to achieve specific goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Usability encompasses various aspects of the user experience, including ease of learning, efficiency of use, memorability, error prevention and recovery, and user satisfaction.
In web architecture, usability is a fundamental consideration that influences information structure, navigation design, interaction patterns, and content presentation. It's typically measured through usability testing, analytics, and user feedback.
User Flow
The path a user takes through a website or application to complete a specific task or achieve a goal. User flows map out the sequence of steps, screens, and decision points that users encounter as they interact with a system, from entry point to task completion.
In web architecture, designing effective user flows involves identifying common tasks, minimizing unnecessary steps, providing clear guidance, and removing friction points. Well-designed flows create intuitive pathways that help users accomplish their goals efficiently.
W
Wayfinding
The process of helping users orient themselves within a website and navigate efficiently to their desired destination. Wayfinding encompasses various navigational elements and contextual cues that help users understand where they are, what they can find, and how to get to different areas of the site.
Effective wayfinding systems include clear navigation menus, breadcrumbs, search functionality, page titles, visual cues, and contextual links that work together to create a coherent spatial understanding of the website.
Web Architecture
The comprehensive structural framework of a website or web application that encompasses both front-end and back-end systems, information organization, user experience design, and technical infrastructure. Web architecture defines how different components interact and function together to create a complete system.
Web architecture typically includes several interconnected layers: information architecture (how content is organized), technical architecture (how systems are built and integrated), UX architecture (how users interact with the site), and content architecture (how information is structured and managed).
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
A set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that provides recommendations for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG is organized around four principles: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).
WCAG defines three levels of conformance: A (minimal), AA (standard), and AAA (enhanced). Most organizations aim for AA compliance, which includes requirements for color contrast, text alternatives, keyboard accessibility, and other key accessibility features.
Wireframe
A skeletal, low-fidelity representation of a webpage or application interface that outlines the structure, layout, information hierarchy, functionality, and intended behaviors. Wireframes typically use simple boxes, lines, and placeholder text to represent UI elements without detailed visual design or content.
In web architecture, wireframes bridge information architecture and visual design, translating structural concepts into visual layouts that show how information will be presented and how users will interact with it.
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