1. Information Architecture Lecture 2 / Chapter 2 Practicing IA Bob Griffin WDIM390 Lecture 2 / Chapter 2 Practicing IA Bob Griffin WDIM390

2. Practicing Info Architecture / IA “happens” whether we want it to or not / Do we “need” it if it just happens? / Programmers and Graphic Designers are great at what they do, but Information Architecture is not one of their skills / “IA, a minute to learn a lifetime to master” / IA “happens” whether we want it to or not / Do we “need” it if it just happens? / Programmers and Graphic Designers are great at what they do, but Information Architecture is not one of their skills / “IA, a minute to learn a lifetime to master”

3. Practicing Info Architecture / Innies / An info architect who is from inside the organization has a more in-depth understanding of the content they are dealing with / Innies / An info architect who is from inside the organization has a more in-depth understanding of the content they are dealing with / Outies / An info architect who is from outside the organization has a fresher perspective of the organization (you can’t see the forest for the trees)

4. Practicing Info Architecture / Most important quality of an IA is the ability to “think outside the box” / What does that mean? / What web sites have created great IA? / Why does the web provide endless opportunities for that? To do things differently? / Most important quality of an IA is the ability to “think outside the box” / What does that mean? / What web sites have created great IA? / Why does the web provide endless opportunities for that? To do things differently?

5. Practicing Info Architecture / There is a certain “finality” about a users casual decision to leave a website when they can’t find info on it? / What does that mean? / Can you give me examples?

6. Practicing Info Architecture / Why is it important that the IA is “solely responsible” for the planning of a website?  IA is beginning to become “specialized,” i.e. thesaurus designer, search schema content editor, metadata specialist, information architect strategist (Note) thesaurus designer metadata specialist / Why is it important that the IA is “solely responsible” for the planning of a website?  IA is beginning to become “specialized,” i.e. thesaurus designer, search schema content editor, metadata specialist, information architect strategist (Note) thesaurus designer metadata specialist

7. Practicing IA in the Real World / Users. Content. Context / “…complex, adaptive systems with emergent qualities.” / “UCC…information ecology.” / We need to understand business goals when performing IA / Users. Content. Context / “…complex, adaptive systems with emergent qualities.” / “UCC…information ecology.” / We need to understand business goals when performing IA

8. Information Ecologies / Context / Each company’s IA is unique, like a fingerprint or snowflake / Your IA provides the most tangible “snapshot” of your organization’s mission, vision, values, strategy and culture (note) / “Tacit knowledge”

9. Information Ecologies / Content / Documents, applications, services and metadata that people need to understand your business (the stuff!)  Attributes of content are: ownership, format, structure, metadata, volume and dynamism (note) / Content / Documents, applications, services and metadata that people need to understand your business (the stuff!)  Attributes of content are: ownership, format, structure, metadata, volume and dynamism (note)

10. Information Ecologies / Users / Demographics / Do you know who’s using your website? / Do you know how they’re using it? / Study your “users in the mist”? / User groups? / Focus groups? / Who do you think will be the first users of the Apple iPhone? / Users / Demographics / Do you know who’s using your website? / Do you know how they’re using it? / Study your “users in the mist”? / User groups? / Focus groups? / Who do you think will be the first users of the Apple iPhone?