Thinking about the Plugin Directory IA

Developing a new plugin directory gives us the opportunity to revisit its design and user experience. It’d be helpful here to start with the information architecture. To begin this process, it’s a good idea to look through the current IA. Here are some diagrams of the current IA.

Current Information Architecture

Current Overview IA

Current Overview IA (/plugins)

Current Plugin Detail IA (/plugins/[plugin-name])

Current PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party Detail IA (/plugins/[plugin-name])

Current Plugin Developers IA

Current Plugin Developers IA (/plugins/about)

Items for Consideration

Looking through the current information architecture, a few questions come up:

  1. We currently show a ton of information on the plugin detail page. What information is necessary when viewing a plugin detail page?
  2. “Developers” is used in two ways throughout the plugin directory: one provides developer information on the plugin detail page, the other links to plugins/about which gives information on how to develop/submit plugins to the directory. Is there a better way to phrase/display this information? Most of the latter content has moved to the Plugin Handbook. Is this page even necessary?
  3. We currently show a version history in two places: under “Developers” on the plugin detail page, but also when you click the “Changelog” tab. Can these be combined? Maybe show a version history that can expand (like an accordion) on click to show the fixes included in that version?
  4. “Installation” doesn’t contain useful information, for the most part, probably because “installation” is standard for all plugins. Should we remove this tab/information from the plugin detail page? How are plugin authors using this tab now? Should we rename it?
  5. There are several tabs that could be combined into the Description tab, including “FAQ”, “Other Notes”, and “Screenshots.” Is it worth combining these into one? If so, are there other changes we should make to allow a better flow of the information?
  6. Rating a plugin requires writing a review. Can we make this clearer by standardizing on a name? “Reviews” or “Rate and Review”, perhaps?
  7. Given the changes being discussed for tags, should we drop the Popular Tags page altogether in favor of a better homepage?

Feedback

We’re looking for feedback on the current IA as well as the questions above. If you have any opinions or ideas, comment below.

#design, #information-architecture, #plugin-directory