Information architecture on the whiteboard — structured in seconds.
IA sessions move fastest on a whiteboard. You can sketch site maps, debate navigation hierarchies, and move whole sections around in minutes. BoardSnap captures the resulting structure before you spend two hours recreating it in a digital tool.
Why ux designers love this workflow
Information architecture decisions made at a whiteboard are high-stakes and easy to lose. The difference between a top-nav item and a sidebar link represents weeks of downstream work. Those decisions need to be documented precisely — not as a blurry photo that everyone interprets differently.
BoardSnap reads your IA diagram's tree structure, names each node and its children, and captures the navigation paths you sketched. The output is a structured hierarchy document you can paste into your design spec or hand directly to developers.
The exact flow
- Sketch the IA tree on the whiteboard
Draw the root, main sections, subsections, and leaf pages. Use lines to show hierarchy. Label each node. Don't worry about neatness — BoardSnap handles messy boards.
- Mark open decisions
Circle or star any sections where the group wasn't sure about placement. These become explicit action items, not fuzzy memory.
- Snap the IA diagram
Open BoardSnap and capture. VisionKit corrects perspective so even a complex diagram that fills the board reads cleanly.
- Review the hierarchy in the summary
BoardSnap AI reads the tree structure and produces a structured outline of the IA — parent and child relationships preserved.
- Track open decisions as action items
Any circled or questioned nodes become open action items. Assign owners and target dates before the session ends.
What you'll get out of it
- IA hierarchy is documented as a structured outline, not just a photo
- Open navigation decisions are tracked until resolved
- Developers can read the IA output without a design tool
- The session whiteboard is searchable in your BoardSnap project
- Brand-aware summaries use your product's actual terminology
Frequently asked
Can BoardSnap read tree diagrams and hierarchical structures?
Yes. BoardSnap AI reads node-and-branch structures and outputs them as a hierarchy. The deeper the nesting you draw, the deeper the structure BoardSnap captures.
What if we use card sorting output as the basis for the IA diagram?
Snap the card sort results and the IA diagram as separate boards in the same project. You can use AI chat to ask how the card sort influenced the final IA structure.
How does this compare to using Miro or OptimalSort for IA?
Miro and OptimalSort are great remote tools. For in-person sessions, a real whiteboard moves faster and generates better discussion. BoardSnap converts the whiteboard output to structured text so you can then move it into any tool you want.
Can I use BoardSnap to document the final IA for handoff?
BoardSnap produces a clean structured summary suitable for design handoff. For a final spec, you'll want to transfer to a dedicated IA tool — but BoardSnap gets you the first draft instantly.
UX Designers: try this on your next information architecture.
Three taps. Action items in your hand before the room clears.