IA Visual Vocabulary

Cheat Sheet
Conditional Elements
Conditional elements are useful for showing how the information architecture varies depending on conditional logic (system
evaluates attributes such as user type, login status or subject matter in order to create user paths).

Conditional Connector:
System may or may not provide Web page
path to user (based on pre- Web page
existing conditions)
Web page

Conditional Area:
One or more conditions applies JavaScript required
to a group of pages. These
areas are associated with a Web page Web page Error page
result generated if conditions not
fulfilled.

Decision Point:
User action may generate one Error page
of a number of results for a Login
given path.
Member
page

File
down-
Concurrent Set: load
User action generates multiple,
Web page
simultaneous results.
Install
instructions

Conditional Branch:
Same as decision point, but For members
system decides result previous
to user action (a single path is Web page
presented to user). For new
users

Conditional Selector: Result 1

Same as branch, but paths are Search
not mutually exclusive. results

Result 2

Cluster: For members

System allows more than one
For new
path for certain conditions. users 1
Appears downstream from Web page
conditional.
For new
users 2

Created by Scott Larson (slarson@stickygoo.com). Based on work by Jesse James Garrett <http://www.jjg.net/ia/visvocab/>