WIAD Ghent 2016
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Transcript of WIAD Ghent 2016
Chickens and Eggs(a broader view of information architecture)
Eric Reiss@elreiss
WIAD 2016February 20, 2016
Ghent, Belgium
My premise for today’s talk:
If you don’t know where you’ve been, it’s difficult to see where you’re going.
I hope to dispell some myths:� IA was first invented in the ‘70s� IA relates strictly to digital information� Reading IA books will make you an IA
I also want to share my thoughts on three key issues:� context� psychology� changing content properties
My goals, your take -aways
So, when did it start?
Using the termDoing the work
February 1998
Happy birthday, polar bear book!
February 1998August 1999
“But gosh, I’ve been doing this fora long, long time .
Certainly others were doing thisbefore me ...”
Belgium’s first information architect
IA and gestural interfaces - 1935
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kuCSRJcTgY
A 150-year-old infographic
A 170-year-old sitemap
A 220-year-old SEO project
A 250-year-old knowledge map
A 300-year-old taxonomy
A 400-year-old content inventory
650-year-old personas
A 5000-year-old wireframe
And you could argue that Platowas actually the first person to
write about information architecture!
Content strategyAbelBailie/UrbinaBloomsteinHalvorsonKissaneLammMcGraneNicholsRachWachter-Boettcher
IAArangoCovertGilchrist/MahonMorvilleReissResmini/RosatiRosenfeldvan DijckWodtke/GovellaWurman
UsabilityKrugNielsenPearrowReissRubin/ChisnellSnitkerSpoolWroblewski
UXChandler/UngerCooperGoodwinGothelfGarrettKuniavskyNormanShedroffSafferUnger/Starmer
MarcomDruckerGodinKottlerPepperPetersRogers
AdvertisingCaplesHopkinsOgilvy
ServiceBeckwithCrosbyOsterwalderPolaine/LøvlieSeyboldSchneiderStickdornTschohlUnderhillZemke
Reading books is good.But don’t discount the value of
emprical experience and intuition .
And you gain experience everywhere !
These won’t make you a chef or a mechanic
Mama said “no” but we learned by touching
And books won’t teach you the secrets of every great information architect:
• Curiosity• Empathy• Passion
Time travel back to thevery first IA Summit
(Strange seas of colour…)
Stage
Me
Cool blackTweed
Flannel Other
Sadly, 16 years later , these groups still don’t really get along
• designers• academics• developers• marketers
The wonderful Lou Rosenfeld spent all night working on this diagram
Information architecture Model ver. 0.01(synthesis of ~900 terms, 8 April 2000)
Information
InformationArchitect
Information
UserIA Goals•Meet user-needs•Mediation•Usability•Added value
•Navigate•Search•Browse•Evaluate
•Design•Implement•Structure•Tag/index
•Analysis•Model•Classify•Evaluate
•Create•Own•Edit•Manage
Standards
DisciplinesPolicies
Technology
The Wikipedia still thinks information architecture is strictly digital
How do we do information architecture?
• Gather things in convenient categories• Call things something recognizable• Put things where they can be found
Wurman’s LATCH model (1994)
L – LocationGhent is a city in Belgium
A – AlphabetGhent starts with the letter “G”
T – TimeGhent dates back to the stone age
C – CategoryGhent is a “marine west coast climate”
H – HierarchyGhent is the largest city in Eastern Flanders
IA is not just something on a screen
Gather things in convenient categories
Message: our skills are valuable far beyond the screen
Call things something recognizable
(a case story froma strip mall in Miami)
Generic labels easily read from a speeding car
Find the weird label...
Usability testing in the real world
2007
2009
2012
Message: labels have to becrystal clear and appropriate to the
user’s environment
Put things where they can be found
Put them where they can be found
Message: if content is king,context is the kingdom
What and how are only part of the story
What and how are only part of the story
Fundamentals of change management
HowWhat
Why
Once you understand the “ why ” of IA, the “what” and “how” are mostly a
matter of common sense and practice.
Why?
To create understanding through context
Noise
Information
Understanding
“You can only understandsomething relative tosomething else.”
Richard Saul Wurman
Our title is “ information architect ”
Perhaps itis should be“ context coordinator ”
Content collections can be messy.
Pattern recognition is a key skill
� An ergonomic seat designed for one person� Optical lenses invented by Benjamin Franklin� Alcoholic mixture invented by Dr. Iain Marshall � Incandescent device invented by Thomas Edison� Fabric made on a loom invented by JM Jacquard� Rouge Royale (marble)� Baskerville Light (typography)� Domesticated mammal
(This is often how our clients look at their content)
Content objects
� Armchair� Bifocal eyeglasses� Manhattan Cocktail� Lightbulb� Wool jumper� Tabletop� Book� Cat
(This is an easier way to look at content)
Content objects (simplified)
Eyeglasses
Wool pullover
Lightbulb
Marble tabletop
Armchair
Book
Gus the Cat
Manhattan Cocktail
Sensory assistance
Warmth/comfort
Sensory assistance
Convenience/aethetics
Convenience/comfort
Education/information
Companionship
Chemical stimuli
Message: You have to understand the big picture in order to make good
tactical decisions. And the big picture is found in the business plan .
Content strategy can go wrong
Let’s dry our hair ...
Which three things do we need?
Message: the IA behind theInternet of Things
has always been here.
It just hasn’t always been on the internet! Now, it’s up to us to form the
electronic “arrows”
If we don’t get the context right,the user experience suffers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3rB_qx0wRM
Message: you have to giveusers options and not just a
single, inflexible solution
If we don’t get the context right,sales may suffer, too.
+
vs. vs.
� Buy camera and case at same time� Expectation that some high-end cases would be sold
� Case bought separately – two choices� Expectation that mostly low-end cases would be sold
� Case bought separately – three choices� Expectation that mostly mid-range cases would be sold
Inspired by Dr. Susan Weinschenk
Three different scenarios
Message: Study up on the psychology of choice
And sometimes our initial perceptionscan be misleading...
A - a sphere and a circle
B - a sphere and a cube
Which seem more alike?
A – cassette tape
B – mirror
C – music CD
D – LP record
Which of these items seems least relevant?
A – cassette tape
B – mirror
C – music CD
D – tin-can lid
Which of these items seems least relevant?
A – cassette tape
B – mirror
C – old car hubcap
D – tin-can lid
Which of these items seems least relevant?
A - a cube and a square
B - a cube and a sphere
But here’s my original question…did you change from A to B? If so, you probably started to see the generic properties.
A - a sphere and a circle
B - a sphere and a cube
Which seem more alike?
Percent changes in perception
https://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Feb-08/FebMar08_IA_Reiss.html
What are the generic properties?
• Shiny• Sharp• Rolls• Contains stuff• Makes noise
Message: to find new contextual relationships, you must look at
the generic properties of the content
I hope to dispell some myths:� IA was first invented in the ‘70s� IA relates strictly to digital information� Reading IA books will make you an IA
I also want to share my thoughts on three key issues:� Creating meaningful context� Understanding psychology� Identifying generic content properties
My goals, your take -aways
Bonus material
(a basic process for introducing IA/UX as an integral part of how an
organisation does business when the stakeholders just want to continue
doing business as usual)
Reiss’s Integration Model (3:24 AM)
� Figure out the business problem� (Read the business plan)
� Understand the opportunities� (Identify ways to create value through IA/UX)
� Channel your energy� (Don’t get sidetracked by naysayers)
� Kiss some ass� (A sad part of doing business)
� Institutionalize the process� (Find your champions. Spread the word)
� Take care of the business goals� (Show the stakeholders the money!)
But above all else, there are three skills every great IA demonstrates:
Passion, curiosity, and empathy
With these, you can rule the world!
Dank U!Merci!
The FatDUX Group ApSStrandøre 152100 CopenhagenDenmark
Office: (+45) 39 29 07 07Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44Twitter: @[email protected]
Eric Reiss can (usually) be found at: