Information architecture. IA. Industry buzzwords? Fancy degrees? Web firms can't hire information architects fast enough, but, while the field has been around and growing for years in software, engineering, and library science, very few people understand exactly what information architects do and why we need them in Web design. And we do need them.

With today's complex, superfly, dynamically driven database Web sites and networks, information architects have become critical to--if not the cornerstone of--most large Web design projects. Blending the technical and the visual with a keen sense for organizational structures and usability, IA is a multidimensional field that puts place in space. Knowing the demand, CNET Builder.com answers your top 10 questions about IA and information architects: who they are, how they get there, what they do, and why in the Web world.

What Is Information Architecture?

1. What Is Information Architecture? 2. How Do Information Architects Fit Into a Web Team? 3. What Do Architects Create for Clients? 4. How Do Architects Evaluate or Design a Site? 5. What Kinds of IA Problems Are Difficult to Solve?

6. What Software Do Architects Use and Need? 7. Are There Evolving Standards for IA? 8. How Does Usability Relate to IA? 9. How Do I Become an Information Architect? 10. What Is the Future of IA in Web Design?

Shel Kimen is an information designer for Razorfish, Inc., New York, a strategic digital communications company. She has been online for a very long time and holds a B.A. in human environment and design with emphasis on architectural theory and planning. Etc. Etc. Etc.