Page 70 - GIGW2

CH 05 Quality Of Content

5.6

Information Architecture & Relationship

Information Architecture is concerned with how information is organized, structured,
labelled, and presented for maximum access. The content of a Government website or
any website per se, has to be structured in such a way that the target audience is able
to access the desired information with minimum effort. The following guidelines are
important for achieving the objective of well-organized Information Architecture:
5.6.1 It is imperative that the information and services on the website are well
organised and categorized into relevant modules/sections and sub-sections so
that any information can be located conveniently and is not buried deep inside
WebPages. These sections or categories may be identified with headings or
labels. Headings wherever used MUST correctly describe topic or purpose of
content. Headings must be specified using HTML heading tags (H1 to H6)
with proper hierarchy. When headings are clear and descriptive, users can find
the information they seek more easily, and they can understand the relationships
between different parts of the content more easily. Descriptive labels help users
identify specific components within the content. Labels and headings do not
need to be lengthy. A single word, may suffice if it provides an appropriate cue to
finding and navigating content. (Ref. WCAG 2.4.6)
5.6.2 The objective of the Homepage of a website is to allow the visitors to locate the
desired information in the easiest possible manner. Homepages must be designed
so as to prominently highlight the most requested information and services.
Further, the homepage should provide an easy-to-identify section where the
purpose of the website and the value to citizens is explained in terms which they
can understand. Indian Government websites should ensure that all information,
which is of direct importance to the citizen, is accessible from the Homepage
itself.

5.6.3 Sighted users perceive structure and relationships through various visual cues
present on a page (page headings are in a larger and bold font; list items are
preceded by a bullet; form fields may be positioned as groups that share text
labels; a different background color may be used to indicate related items and
so on). However visually challenged users cannot take advantage of these cues.
It must be ensured that these informations and relationships are preserved even
when the presentation format changes. (For example when the content is read
by a screen reader or CSS is turned off or replaced).Therefore departments
MUST ensure that Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through
presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text.
(Ref. WCAG 1.3.1)

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