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: