12.3. Blueprints

Blueprints show the relationships between pages and other content components, and can be used to portray organization, navigation, and labeling systems. They are often referred to as “site maps,” and do in fact have much in common with the other definition of “site map,” a type of supplementary navigation system that we describe in Chapter 7. Both the diagram and the navigation system display the “shape” of the information space in overview, functioning as a condensed map for site developers and users respectively.

12.3.1. High-Level Architecture Blueprints

High-level blueprints are often created by information architects as part of a top-down information architecture process (and, it’s worth noting, they may also be produced during a project’s strategy phase) Starting with the main page, the information architect might use the process of developing a blueprint to iteratively flesh out more and more of the architecture, adding subsidiary pages, increasing levels of detail, and working out the navigation from the top down. (Blueprints can also support bottom-up design, such as displaying a content model’s content chunks and relationships; we discuss these uses later in the chapter.)