| name | lamina-information-architecture |
| description | Entity organization and retrieval — how actors find domain objects in screens and nav. Use when IA mirrors files or tables instead of tasks. |
| metadata | {"lamina":{"id":"information-architecture","problems":["structuring domain objects in UI","findability of entities","IA for task-oriented products"],"related":["lamina-task-analysis","lamina-navigation","lamina-system-structure"]}} |
Information Architecture (agent-native)
Organize entities[] for actor retrieval — recency, search, hierarchy — not filesystem or schema shape.
Contract encoding
- Entity list drives nav sections and
surfaces[] groupings
- Retrieval patterns per entity type: list, search, timeline, facets — in screen spec
entities[].relationships inform parent/child nav — not foreign keys in UI copy
Frameworks
- Unified object model: actors manipulate domain objects (tickets, exams), not paths or tables.
- Retrieval: recency + search + visual browse — match how actors remember work.
- Auto-persist: no "save?" anxiety — session/history scenarios if undo needed.
Design checklists
- IA follows task analysis operations, not org chart.
- Recent/frequent objects promoted on dashboard screen.
- Search across entity attributes actors know (name, date) — not internal ids.
- Deep hierarchy only for rare admin paths.
- Entity rename in domain → nav label update in same contract pass.
Verify checks
- Actor walk: find entity by primary retrieval path on live product.
- "Where did it go?" after create operation → finding if contract promised visibility.
Anti-patterns
- Exposing file paths, table names, module ids to actors.
- Folder drilling as only retrieval path.
- IA copied from database ERD without task mapping.
Related
