I’d love to hear thoughts on the state of IA. Is it needed in a specialist role anymore?
I think that IA is just forgotten because it's framed differently. People talk in terms of navigation, where users can find your information, what are the best flows. I worked on multiples IA projects and still one of the key aspect of good design. As well, it's something often wrong approached, where card sorting or tree testing are forgotten.
Let's add "Educator" to the already long list of hats designers wear. Having to educate people on something that has impacted them their entire lives feels more like an exercise in opening minds and developing "awareness." Maybe a meditation retreat for the C-Suite is what's needed?
Seriously, I've had to educate people about design for 3 decades now. Not just digital, but also in print. On the printed page people see white space and want to fill it with "stuff." On the screen they see words, pretty pictures and colors—a digital coloring book of sorts that's important, but not imperative.
Tom, I'm so happy you mentioned IA. I'm currently an associate director of IA and UX at my company but I have been getting questions from SEASONED PROFESSIONALS about what IA is? "Oh like sitemaps" and I'm just baffled that it's being "reduced" to just that. Do you have any suggestions on how to rebrand this dying art??
I’d love to hear thoughts on the state of IA. Is it needed in a specialist role anymore?
I think that IA is just forgotten because it's framed differently. People talk in terms of navigation, where users can find your information, what are the best flows. I worked on multiples IA projects and still one of the key aspect of good design. As well, it's something often wrong approached, where card sorting or tree testing are forgotten.
Let's add "Educator" to the already long list of hats designers wear. Having to educate people on something that has impacted them their entire lives feels more like an exercise in opening minds and developing "awareness." Maybe a meditation retreat for the C-Suite is what's needed?
Seriously, I've had to educate people about design for 3 decades now. Not just digital, but also in print. On the printed page people see white space and want to fill it with "stuff." On the screen they see words, pretty pictures and colors—a digital coloring book of sorts that's important, but not imperative.
Tom, I'm so happy you mentioned IA. I'm currently an associate director of IA and UX at my company but I have been getting questions from SEASONED PROFESSIONALS about what IA is? "Oh like sitemaps" and I'm just baffled that it's being "reduced" to just that. Do you have any suggestions on how to rebrand this dying art??