Unified Academy Architecture: Navigation Clarity and Progressive Disclosure
統一書院架構：導航清晰與漸進披露
A comprehensive site restructure consolidating navigation from 8 → 5 items, introducing access badges, ungating degree previews, and creating a dedicated Tools hub.
After two weeks of aggressive content expansion, we turned our attention to information architecture. The site had grown organically to 8 top-level navigation items — functional, but cluttered. Today's restructure brings clarity through consolidation.
The Navigation Problem
The old 8-item navigation structure revealed several issues:
- Semantic confusion: "Library" in the nav vs. "Academy" in page headers and breadcrumbs
- Tool fragmentation: Oracle and Yijing occupied precious top-level slots despite being niche tools
- Hidden gems: Wicha had top-level visibility while Five Arts (with 24+ modules) was buried under Library
The New 5-Section Structure
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Academy | Educational hub — degrees, Five Arts, forum, procedures |
| Encyclopedia | Concepts, glossary, classical texts |
| Calculators | BaZi, ZWDS, QMDJ, oracles, Feng Shui builders |
| Feng Shui Studio | Digital Luopan, property assessment, builder tools |
| Journal | Field notes and updates from the path |
Progressive Disclosure: Preview Mode for Advanced Degrees
One of the most significant changes is the shift from hard gatekeeping to preview mode for the three advanced degrees. Visitors can now browse degree overviews, complete module structure (section titles and descriptions), and learning progression — without being able to access the actual ritual content until they have formal lineage initiation.
Design Philosophy — Information Scent: Good information architecture follows the principle of information scent — users should be able to predict what they'll find before clicking. Each label tells you exactly what you'll get. No ambiguity, no overlap. The best architecture gets out of your way when you need to move fast.