Research & Information Architecture
UX researchers and information architects make visible the intents, barriers and mental models that navigation data cannot describe alone.
What changes for research & IA
- Map the intent people cannot name. Because of the discoverability barrier, observed behaviour under-estimates what users would delegate. Design for the non-prompter as the normal case, not the edge. See Intent-based interaction.
- Top-down navigation coexists with intent. Those who start from their own case skip the hierarchy. Do not delete the structure: flank it with direct, intent-based access. See The user’s language replaces the system’s taxonomy.
- AI literacy as a research variable. Trust calibration diverges between stated and acted trust; measure it behaviourally. See Trust, AI literacy and calibration.
- The private conversation is unobservable. The most influential brand conversation happens in private chats no research method reaches. See The conversations you cannot observe.
Responsibilities and actions
- Distinguish observed behaviour, expressed intent and intent that users have not yet articulated.
- Test taxonomy, intent architecture and accessibility together with diverse users.
- Define measures for first-attempt success, time to first useful result and trust calibration.
- Bring decisions requiring mandates on nomenclature, delegation and risk to Product and Leadership.