Confessions: How I Got Addicted to Information Architecture and You Might Too

Spoiler: I enjoy strategy games.

Presented by

Lief Erickson

www.intuitivestack.io

You may recognize yourself in my story. That’s because I once sat where you are. Information architecture is a corollary skill and field to technical communication.

Why did I get into technical writing (fall backwards/slip and fall image) Tech writing was barely a term, even if it was an emerging profession.
My work focused on template design. Finding ways to enforce structure and automate menial tasks.
That led me to information architecture.
What issues does IA solve? How are those issues related to tech comm?
- Navigation - how does one move around a website or app. How does voice command factor in?
- Labels - what are things called? What about in multi-lingual apps?
- Metaphors. Place- and sense-making. The user journey almost certainly includes offline and online portions. Do the metaphors make sense? Do they make sense for all age cohorts? (Does this rotary telephone icon make sense any longer?) What about different cultures?
- Facets and metadata
You might enjoy this if…

Not a poll, but think about what this is called. We'll come back to it later.

Tennis shoe
Trainer
Sneaker
Runners
Athletic shoe
Tennie
Court shoe

https://twitter.com/JanineMJohn/status/514357129663504384

https://twitter.com/jrc_collins/status/514063806600073216

https://twitter.com/odhran25/status/514760453176983552

https://twitter.com/cksr/status/514086931844829184

https://twitter.com/deevincentday/status/719895024020897792

https://twitter.com/smuldal/status/514059993700892672

https://twitter.com/RuthWrite8/status/514837296475308032

https://twitter.com/senseilp/status/1551538181757145089

Architecture itself can not make a more equitable world... but we can contribute with specific actions.

Mariam Kamara

Organizing systems
Labeling systems
Navigation
Search
Metadata, facets, taxonomies

Classify
Engage
Explain
Flex
Include
Manage
Present

<step>
  <cmd>At the command-line prompt, enter the following command:</cmd>
  <info><codeblock outputclass="syntax-bash"><filepath conkeyref="conref-task/dita-cmd"/> <parmname
    >--input</parmname>=<varname>input-file</varname> <parmname>--format</parmname>=<varname
      >format</varname> <ph audience="expert">[<varname>options</varname>]</ph></codeblock>
    <p>where:</p>
    <ul>
      <li
        conkeyref="conref-task/novice-variables"
        conrefend="../resources/conref-task.dita#ID/novice-variables-last"
        audience="novice"
      />
      <li conkeyref="conref-task/novice-variables" audience="expert"/>
      <li conkeyref="conref-task/expert-variables-last" audience="expert"/>
      <li conkeyref="conref-task/options" audience="expert"/>
    </ul></info>
  <stepresult conkeyref="conref-task/running-ditaot-results"/>
</step>

Semantics: the meaning of word, phrase or text.

Humans (and some other animals) have a strong desire to organize things.

We develop connections and categories based on previous exposure, observations, and experiences. (Bias, implicit or explicit, can play a [hidden] role.)

Categories are created based on attributes, some quality or feature.

Color
Fabric
Size

Example: Red cotton t-shirt in size medium.

To bring order to chaos.

To reduce cognitive load.

As the architect, you develop the rules other people must follow.
The "paint" or theme of a website will change much more quickly and frequently than its structure.
IA strips bare the choices.
If you've reduced the cognitive load, by definition you've improved the user experience.
Iterate. Adjust. Learn from your successes and your missteps.

Think abstractly. Use models and wireframes.

Understand taxonomies and relationships between terms (ontologies).

Accessibility and UX/UI principles interest you.

Grasp how content is created, stored/managed, and published.

Enjoy playing with data. Using statistics to tell a story.¹

Knowledge of a programming or scripting language is helpful (e.g., Python or XSLT).²

1. This doesn't mean you were a maths major. 2. This doesn't mean you were a programmer.

https://www.intuitivestack.io/presentations/2022/istc

Not a poll, but think about what this is called. We'll come back to it later.

Tennis shoe
Trainer
Sneaker
Runners
Athletic shoe
Tennie
Court shoe

Confessions: How I Got Addicted to Information Architecture and You Might Too

What is this called?

A bit about you (well, maybe not exactly you)

It's starts in the real world

Polar Bear

IA Lenses

Semantic space

Navigating enterprise websites

Earlier I mentioned board games

Who is the information architecture for?

Why use information architecture?

Becoming a successful information architect

Find this presentation at

What is this called?

Hummel says…

Confessions: How I Got Addicted to Information Architecture and You Might Too

What is this called?

A bit about you (well, maybe not exactly you)

It's starts in the real world

Polar Bear

IA Lenses

Semantic space

Navigating enterprise websites

Large dropdown menu

Espresso search

Earlier I mentioned board games

Who is the information architecture for?

Why use information architecture?

Becoming a successful information architect

Find this presentation at

What is this called?

Hummel says…