How to Develop a Taxonomy for Your Information Architecture?

Taxonomy serves as a map, helping users locate information efficiently and providing a framework for scalability as content grows. In this post, we’ll explore three core concepts—information taxonomy, data taxonomy, and product taxonomy—crucial for building a strong foundation for information architecture.

Information taxonomy is the structured classification of content, organizing it into categories, subcategories, and hierarchies to improve discoverability and usability. This type of taxonomy is often applied in content-heavy websites, digital libraries, and knowledge management systems where users need to find specific documents or articles quickly. In practical terms, information taxonomy groups similar content and assigns labels that resonate with users.

For example, in a knowledge base for a software platform, an information taxonomy might categorize content into topics like Getting Started, Troubleshooting, and Advanced Features. Within these broad categories, subcategories and tags allow for more granular classification, which helps users narrow down their searches quickly.

Data taxonomy is the classification system that organizes and labels data assets to facilitate efficient data management, discovery, and analysis. Unlike information taxonomy, which typically deals with user-facing content, data taxonomy is used internally within an organization to manage and structure data for operational purposes. It’s commonly applied in large organizations where data is a critical resource and must be categorized to support data governance, compliance, and analytics.

For example, a financial institution might categorize data based on customer information, transaction history, and product types. Each data category may have standardized attributes, such as account type or transaction status, enabling efficient data retrieval and reporting.

Product taxonomy is a type of taxonomy used explicitly in eCommerce and retail to organize products into categories and attributes that improve user navigation and searchability. Unlike general information or data taxonomy, product taxonomy focuses on aspects relevant to retail, such as product categories, subcategories, and detailed attributes (e.g., color, size, brand).

We talk in-depth about eCommerce taxonomy in the linked blog post.

Creating a taxonomy for information architecture involves understanding the unique needs of the content or data you’re organizing and aligning it with user behavior. Information taxonomy focuses on content discoverability and intuitive navigation, making it easier for users to locate relevant information. Data taxonomy addresses the internal organization of data for effective governance and retrieval. Product taxonomy, on the other hand, is designed for eCommerce, ensuring that products are easily searchable and aligned with customer intent.

A well-designed taxonomy is not static; it evolves with the organization’s growth and user needs, ensuring content remains accessible, relevant, and manageable. Whether structuring a knowledge base, managing data assets, or organizing an online store, a thoughtful taxonomy is the backbone of an effective information architecture.