An overview of my takeaways from the Information Architecture Summit in New Orleans in March. Presented at Übermind (in Seattle) on April 17th. [Originally uploaded to Slideshare April 18, 2012]

1. INFORMATION
ARCHITECTURE
SUMMIT 2012
NEW ORLEANS
MARCH 21-25
Presented by ANDY FITZGERALD

3. IA SUMMIT ’12 THEMES
Myths of Mobile
Device Independence
Putting Content First
Future-Proofing Content
Leveraging Metadata
Embracing Complexity
Delight & Flow
Extending the Mind

4. ?

6. CURRENT UX PROCESS
Discovery Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint N Launch Post Launch
Finalized
Interaction Design Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes
Deck

7. PROPOSED UX PROCESS
Discovery Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint N Launch Post Launch
Research Personas &
User Research
Study User Stories
Content
Content Content Content
Content Strategy Strategy
Audit Inventory Map
Plan
Navigation
Information Architecture User Flows
Schema
Discovery Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint N Launch Post Launch
Finalized
Interaction Design Sketches Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes
Deck
Baseline Usability Paper Prototype Usability
Usability Usability Usability
Usability Usability Findings Usability Findings
Study Study Study
Study Report Study Report
Baseline Analytics Analytics
Analytics
Analytics Analytics Findings Findings
Study
Study Report Report

8. Discovery Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint N Launch Post Launch
Research Personas &
User Research
Study User Stories
Content
Content Content Content
Content Strategy Strategy
Audit Inventory Map
Plan
Navigation
Information Architecture User Flows
Schema
Finalized
Interaction Design Sketches Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes
Deck
Baseline Usability Paper Prototype Usability
Usability Usability Usability
Usability Usability Findings Usability Findings
Study Study Study
Study Report Study Report
Baseline Analytics Analytics
Analytics
Analytics Analytics Findings Findings
Study
Study Report Report

9. Discovery Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint N Launch Post Launch
Research Personas &
User Research
Study User Stories
Content
Content Content Content
Content Strategy Strategy
Audit Inventory Map
Plan
Navigation
Information Architecture User Flows
Schema
Finalized
Interaction Design Sketches Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes Wireframes
Deck
Baseline Usability Paper Prototype Usability
Usability Usability Usability
Usability Usability Findings Usability Findings
Study Study Study
Study Report Study Report
Baseline Analytics Analytics
Analytics
Analytics Analytics Findings Findings
Study
Study Report Report

10. “ARCHITECTURE ENABLES
ENVIRONMENTS FOR INHABITATION;
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
ENABLES ENVIRONMENTS FOR
UNDERSTANDING.”
–Jorge Arango, “Architectures”

11. I.A. IS ALSO
Web Strategy
Social
Mobile
Cross-Channel Strategy
Physical
Digital
Intertwingularity
Ubiquitous
Ambient

12. Context
Content Users
Adapted
from
Informa(on
Architecture
for
the
World
Wide
Web,
by
Louis
Rosenfeld
&
Peter
Morville

13. SUMMIT THEMES (REDUX)
Myths of Mobile
Context
Device Independence
Putting Content First
Content
Future-Proofing Content
Leveraging Metadata
Embracing Complexity
Users
Delight & Flow
Extending the Mind

14. SUMMIT THEMES (REDUX)
Myths of Mobile
Context
Device Independence
Putting Content First
Content
Future-Proofing Content
Leveraging Metadata
Embracing Complexity
Users
Delight & Flow
Extending the Mind

15. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Adapted
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

16. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
Adapted
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

17. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
AdWeek,
April
11,
2012
Source:
Forrester
Research

18. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
AdWeek,
April
11,
2012
Source:
Forrester
Research

19. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
Myth #2: Mobile = Less
Adapted
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

20. “MOBILE USERS’ PRIORITIES CHANGE,
BUT THEIR INTENTS DON’T.”
–Emily Weingart, Beyond Channels

21. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
Myth #2: Mobile = Less
Myth #3: Complexity is a dirty word
Myth #4: Extra taps are evil
Adapted
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

22. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
Myth #2: Mobile = Less
Myth #3: Complexity is a dirty word
Myth #4: Extra taps are evil
Myth #5: Gotta have a mobile website
Myth #6: Mobile is about apps
Adapted
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

23. MYTHS OF MOBILE CONTEXT
Myth #1: Mobile users are rushed and distracted
Myth #2: Mobile = Less
Myth #3: Complexity is a dirty word
Myth #4: Extra taps are evil
Myth #5: Gotta have a mobile website
Myth #6: Mobile is about apps
Myth #7: Content & API are for database nerds
Adapted
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

24. “STOP BEING CHANNEL EXPERTS;
START BEING CONTENT EXPERTS.”
–Emily Weingart, Beyond Channels

25. DEVICE INDEPENDENCE

26. DEVICE INDEPENDENCE
Place
What are the physical touchpoints & surrounding channels?
Mindset
What is the user there to do?
Social
how does the presence of others affect the users’ goals?
Adapted
from
Beyond
Channels,
Emily
Weingart
@
IAS12

27. DEVICE INDEPENDENCE
Place
What are the physical touchpoints & surrounding channels?
Mindset
What is the user there to do?
Social
how does the presence of others affect the users’ goals?
Adapted
from
Beyond
Channels,
Emily
Weingart
@
IAS12

28. DEVICE INDEPENDENCE
Place
What are the physical touchpoints & surrounding channels?
Mindset
What is the user there to do?
Social
how does the presence of others affect the users’ goals?
Adapted
from
Beyond
Channels,
Emily
Weingart
@
IAS12

30. DEVICE INDEPENDENCE
Place
What are the physical touchpoints & surrounding channels?
Mindset
What is the user there to do?
Social
how does the presence of others affect the users’ goals?
Adapted
from
Beyond
Channels,
Emily
Weingart
@
IAS12

32. SUMMIT THEMES
Myths of Mobile
Context
Device Independence
Putting Content First
Content
Future-Proofing Content
Leveraging Metadata
Embracing Complexity
Users
Delight & Flow
Extending the Mind

34. “YOU PUT WATER INTO A CUP,
IT BECOMES THE CUP.
YOU PUT WATER INTO A BOTTLE,
IT BECOMES THE BOTTLE.
YOU PUT IT IN A TEAPOT,
IT BECOMES THE TEAPOT.”
Yoinked
from
Myths
of
Mobile
Context,
Josh
Clark
@
IAS12

35. “PUTTING CONTENT FIRST MEANS
CREATING CLEAN, WELL STRUCTURED,
FLEXIBLE CONTENT THAT CAN BE
USED ACROSS A VARIETY OF
CHANNELS, PLATFORMS, AND
CONTEXTS -- BECAUSE IT WAS
PLANNED THAT WAY FROM THE
START.”
–Karen McGrane,
Adapting Ourselves to Adaptive Content

36. C
O
N
T
E
N
T
P
R
O
V
I
D
E
M
U
S
I
C
P
A
R
T
N
E
Adapted
from
Adap(ng
Ourselves
to
Adap(ve
Content,
Karen
McGrane
@
IAS12

38. CONTENT FIRST
Future-proof content
write for the “chunk”
create content for re-use from the start
Adapted
from
Adap(ng
Ourselves
to
Adap(ve
Content,
Karen
McGrane
@
IAS12

39. “THE MORE STRUCTURE YOU PUT INTO
CONTENT THE FREER IT WILL
BECOME.”
– Rachel Lovinger
@rlovinger

40. CONTENT FIRST
Future-proof content
write for the “chunk”
create content for re-use from the start
Leverage metadata
design for dynamically generated pages that respond to
presentation and context
Adapted
from
Adap(ng
Ourselves
to
Adap(ve
Content,
Karen
McGrane
@
IAS12

41. “METADATA IS THE NEW ART
DIRECTION”
– Ethan Resnick
@studip101

42. SUMMIT THEMES
Myths of Mobile
Context
Device Independence
Putting Content First
Content
Future-Proofing Content
Leveraging Metadata
Embracing Complexity
Users
Delight & Flow
Extending the Mind

43. EMBRACING COMPLEXITY
Overview
Zoom
Filter
Details on demand
Visual
Informa(on
Seeking
Mantra,
Ben
Schneiderman
(1996)

46. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

47. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize
Surface patterns
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

48. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize
Surface patterns
Visualize Data
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

49. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize
Surface patterns
Visualize Data
Account for roles
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

50. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize
Surface patterns
Visualize Data
Account for roles
Adapt to users
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

51. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize Reveal
Surface patterns
Visualize Data
Account for roles
Adapt to users
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

52. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize Reveal
Surface patterns Zoom
Visualize Data
Account for roles
Adapt to users
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

53. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize Reveal
Surface patterns Zoom
Visualize Data Consider social
implications
Account for roles
Adapt to users
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

54. COMPLEXITY HEURISTICS
Prioritize Reveal
Surface patterns Zoom
Visualize Data Consider social
implications
Account for roles
No UI at all
Adapt to users
Adapted
from
Designing
for
Complexity,
Nadine
Schaeffer
@
IAS12

55. “Plot
Lines”
Delayed
Gra(fica(on,
Oct-­‐Dec
2011

56. CSÍKSZENTMIHÁLYI’S FLOW
Finely-tuned balance of challenge & skill
Clear sense of goals
Positively channeled emotions
Total and energized immersion in an activity
Intrinsically rewarding

57. “INFORMATION IS CHEAP;
UNDERSTANDING IS EXPENSIVE.”
–Karl Fast,
Information Overload
is an Opportunity

58. THANK YOU!