After 5 years of writing a column on information architecture for BASIST I summed up my take on the field in ten simple ‘rules’ (I use the term loosely).
1. No, we never did define it to everyone’s satisfaction.
2. Communities matter more.
3. There will be something else after blogs, wikis and memes.
4. Understanding people’s needs for information is a thorny problem.
5. A profession is not defined solely by financial concerns.
6. Findability is not a sufficient basis for architecture.
7. Usability is a design value, not a field.
8. Data is stored: Information is experienced
9. Most of the world is still not able to have this experience.
10. We’re still figuring this out, so don’t stop trying to shape it.
Obviously these need to be interepreted in the context of an emerging set of concerns but here they are for the record. I had a great time with that column but it was time for fresh perspectives and I hate to write on a fixed schedule. You can access the past columns on my own publications page: http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~adillon/publications.html
Will we see you at iasummit?
Not this year — this is the first summit I will have not attended but it had to happen sometime- continuity for its own sake is a poor motivator.
Hi,
As you said the bug is fixed, at least for me. Liked the 10 “rules” (not necessarily the word I would have used) and would add one more – IA is not about indexing but it matters……
Bye, Barry