iA / Dictionary / C / Container

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Container: Container-based information architecture appears simple at first but is also the most difficult discipline in our craft. Its theory is broad and spiked with hairy contextual exceptions. No one fully masters or understands the magic behind it. A container generally consists of a self-sufficient block of content that a) spans the full width of a page b) is useable on more than one page c) scales responsively. The rules of container-based information architecture can be learned and improved through practice over years. The benefits of container-based IA for structure, responsiveness, content strategy and Design flexibility are obvious and can be proven quite easily. But, just like logic, the deeper metaphysics of container-based information architecture can never be fully understood. The hardest part in container-based IA is usually the home page.