lamina-information-architecture

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

1. IA follows task analysis operations, not org chart.
2. Recent/frequent objects promoted on dashboard screen.
3. Search across entity attributes actors know (name, date) — not internal ids.
4. Deep hierarchy only for rare admin paths.
5. 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

• System Structure
• Navigation
• Task Analysis