The playbook
Website Architecture: Review Process
A useful website architecture review ends with a supported decision for each item examined. Define the evidence required before opening the report: page, parent, audience task, navigation label. These fields give reviewers a shared basis for agreeing what is working, what needs attention, and who should act.
Put the task in context
Group pages around recognizable tasks such as services, pricing, projects, and contact. Test whether a first-time visitor can find the relevant service from both the homepage and an article. A visitor entering through search may never see the homepage.
Set the review boundary
Choose the records or journeys that matter to the current question. Include a normal case, a recently changed case, and an exception where available. This is a diagnostic sample, not a claim that every item has been checked. Record how the sample was selected and what would justify expanding it.
Use explicit review criteria
| Criterion | Review question |
|---|---|
| Group content around audience tasks | Is the supporting page current and traceable? |
| Choose category labels people recognize | Does parent support the decision being made? |
| Test paths to important pages from common entry points | Can the next owner verify navigation label? |
Inspect the evidence before assigning a result
For each item, compare the intended behavior with the observed behavior. Pay particular attention to structuring navigation around internal departments customers do not know. If it appears, record where it occurs and which assumption it contradicts. Distinguish a verified defect from an unanswered question and from a preference about how the work should look.
Where the evidence supports the known correction, rename categories around the visitor's needs. Give that action to an accountable owner with a description of the expected result. If you cannot yet identify the cause, assign a diagnostic action rather than prescribing a speculative repair.
Record a decision that can be acted on
| Decision | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Keep | The current state serves the intended task and the evidence is adequate. |
| Revise | A specific gap is confirmed and the proposed action addresses it. |
| Investigate | Important information is missing or conflicting. |
| Retire or combine | The item has no distinct useful purpose in the current scope. |
Verify corrections and expand selectively
Recheck the affected page or interaction record after the owner completes the action. Then inspect other items sharing the relevant cause. A shared template, process rule, or data source may justify expanding the review. Similar wording or appearance alone is a weaker reason.
Turn the review into a decision summary
Summarize the affected scope, confirmed findings, actions, and open questions. Connect the findings to successful navigation tasks using the same definition as the baseline. A good summary lets the responsible person decide what happens next without reading every working note.
Treat visual changes and functional changes separately in the change log. A clearer label may improve comprehension, but a broken submission destination still prevents completion. Confirm both understanding and successful delivery.
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