Bootstrapping the Information Architecture (Italian IA Summit)

BOOTSTRAPPING THE IA
XIV 
ITALIAN 
IA SUMMIT
PETER BOERSMA.
@PBOERSMA.

BOOTING…
I
PETER’S WORK.
MY AMSTERDAM.

In 2015, I was hired
 
by the City of Amsterdam
 
as online product manager

to develop the concept for
 
an online integrated customer view

and manage its
 
user experience strategy and roadmap

I am an elevator pitch
for citizens, companies and institutes

the City of Amsterdam offers
 
an online integrated customer view
 
application

which is a layer over
 
a channel-independent application

I am an online integrated customer view
for citizens, companies and institutes

who want to know how they are registered with the City

who want to know (the history of) the status of service-processes they are engaged in

who want to (and are allowed to) take next steps in these processes

who don’t want to (or can’t) use other channels such as a service desk or call centre

the City of Amsterdam offers an online Integrated Customer View application

where their registered pro
fi
le is shown

where the status of current and completed processes are shown

where information about, and links to, possible actions are given

where suggestions for other, relevant processes are made

which is a layer over a channel-independent application

with layers for other target groups, e.g. civil servants

with layers for other channels, e.g. mobile, service desks, call centre

with an underlying layer of webservices to support all applications
My Amsterdam
 
(online & personal)
Integrated
 
Customer View
 
(not public & virtual)
}
}

the concept sketch

the current situation - of
fl
ine
product-specific
application

info
 
&
 
application
 
forms
professional
?
product-specific
application

fi
le
product
 
statuses
citizen
login
welcome
product
webservice
100
product

webservices are also connected to applications for professionals
product-specific
application
 
statuses
product
webservice
100
product

a citizen’s context determines which products get suggested
suggestion engine
citizen professional
My Amsterdam
 
statuses
suggestion
my pro
fi
le
public
website
 
info
 
&
 
application
 
forms
product-specific
application

status
product-specific
application
 
suggestion

the collection of web services is the real integrated customer view
web

1. the main concepts the system will expose to its users,

2. how those concepts relate to each other to help users
accomplish their purposes within the system, and

3. the language that will be used to describe those
concepts so users can understand them”
Jorge Arango, A Pain With No Name, https://jarango.com/2018/03/26/a-pain-with-no-name/

“A concept model is a visual representation of a set of
ideas that clari
fi
es the concept for both the thinker and the
audience. It is a useful and powerful tool for user
experience designers but also for business, engineering,
and marketing… basically anyone who needs to
communicate complexity.
 
Which is most of us, these days.”
Christina Wodtke, How to Make a Concept Model, https://boxesandarrows.com/how-to-make-a-concept-model/

“A concept map is a picture of our understanding of
something. It is a diagram illustrating how sets of
concepts are related. Concept maps are made up of
webs of terms (nodes) related by verbs (links) to other
terms (nodes). The purpose of a concept map is to
represent (on a single visual plane) a person’s mental
model of a concept.”
Hugh Dubberly, Creating Concept Maps, http://www.dubberly.com/concept-maps/creating-concept-maps.html

boxes for the concepts (“things”) which the user will be confronted with
concept diagrams are drawings that illustrate concepts
A B

arrows indicating the relationships between the concepts

the terminology used, both user-facing and - if necessary - team jargon
concept A concept B
is a part of

the scope of the product or service that is proposed

the environment in which the product or service will operate

they are story-telling devices for products or services
concept A concept B
relationship
scope
environment

4 related diagrams
mind map
system map concept illustration
mental model
complete incomplete
personal
shared
concept diagram

what concept diagrams are NOT
“The conceptual model of an interactive system is not the
user interface. It is not about how the software looks or how
it feels. It does not mention keystrokes and mouse-actions,
screen graphics and layout, commands, navigation
schemes, dialog boxes, controls, data presentation, or
error messages. It does not say whether the software is
operated through a GUI on a personal computer or by
voice-commands over a telephone. It describes only what
people can do with the system and what concepts they
need to understand to operate it”
Jeff Johnson, Austin Henderson, Conceptual Models, http://interactions.acm.org/archive/view/january-2002/conceptual-models1

“Conceptual models make stakeholders nervous. Why?
Because they’re not user interfaces. Stakeholders want to
see progress. They expect designers to produce artefacts
that look like screens. Conceptual models don’t look like
screens; they’re “boxes and arrows” diagrams. Getting to
the stage where you can produce a conceptual model
takes lots of work, and at the end of that effort, you have…
a diagram”
Jeff Johnson, Austin Henderson, Conceptual Models, http://interactions.acm.org/archive/view/january-2002/conceptual-models1

“Concept models are not for everyone. When I show fellow
designers these artefacts, I sometimes get “You show that
to clients?” Like any deliverable, there’s a time and a place
for concept models. If you’re anything like me, however,
you think visually. Even if your models don’t see the light of
day, a good model can help you get a better grip on the
problem, or lay some groundwork for your designs.”
Dan Brown, In Which a Concept Model Makes Me Giddy, https://articles.uie.com/concept_models/

REBOOT THE DESIGN
III
3 STORIES
3-LETTER COMPANIES.

Between 2007-2010, I worked as UX Lead on a 3-year
project by INFO.NL, aimed at creating a new marketing
website for SNS, the 3rd largest bank in The Netherlands.

We spoke to a lot of stakeholders and came up with the
following concept diagram:

4 related diagrams
mind map
system map concept illustration
concept diagram
mental model

In 2015, I worked as a UX Strategist at SDL, a content
management and translation software company. My job
was putting “enough” UX on the roadmaps owned by
product managers.

SDL acquired MediaManager, a Digital Asset
Management product, and while it was getting re-
platformed, we had an opportunity to change the way it
was perceived by its customers; mapping existing
features to marketable user needs.

Bryce Glass, Flickr User Model, https://www.
fl
ickr.com/photos/bryce/tags/
fl
ickrusermodel/

4 related diagrams
mind map
concept illustration
concept diagram
mental model
system map

In 2018, I worked as a freelance UX Strategist for KLM
Digital Studio, where B2E applications were made. My job
was to design a personalised intranet.

I was team member #2 (#1 was the Product Manager) and
started after a Design Sprint hadn’t gone anywhere.
 
 
I started talking to stakeholders and mapped users,
content suppliers, and source systems.

Intranets at KLM More Intranets at KLM

BOOTSTRAP YOUR IA
IV
HOW TO MAKE THEM.
WHY MAKE THEM?

concept A concept B
relationship
scope
environment

One approach that works for me is to ask the team to stop
thinking about the thing we’re designing as software and
start thinking about it as a place.
 
1. identify the tasks, objects, groupings, relationships,
actions, etc. that will comprise the system,

2. de
fi
ne the names and attributes of those things, and

3. think through the choreography required for people to
ful
fi
l tasks in the environment
Jorge Arango, Start With a Conceptual Model, https://jarango.com/2017/09/29/start-with-a-conceptual-model/
Jorge Arango’s 1-2-3

1. Determine the goal: How will the model be used, by
whom? What is the job of the model? To change minds,
explain a concept, simplify complexity?

2. Inventory the concepts: Brainstorm many parts of your
concept. Keep adding more in the margins as you go.

3. Inspect the concepts: Are there many concepts hiding
in one? Do you really understand each idea?

4. Determine the relationships: How do the concepts
interact?
Christina Wodtke, step 1-4 of 10

5. Decision point: Do I understand the ideas and what I’m
trying to communicate?

Test: Ask yourself if the model “feels” right.

If yes, then continue.

7. Iterate with words and pictures: Talk to yourself and
draw it out!

8. Evaluate with yourself/the client: Keep making sure the
drawings match the ideas you wish to communicate.

9. Decision point: Does my audience understand the
ideas and what I’m trying to communicate?
 
Test: Can my audience answer key questions with the
model?
 
If yes, then continue.

10. Re
fi
ne: Use color, type, line weight, and labels to make
sure you are communicating clearly.

“Making a concept map in an area that is well de
fi
ned is
sometimes fairly easy — if the information space can
easily be found and if most authorities agree on it.
 
 
For more ambiguous topics, a great deal of time may be
needed to agree on scope (which terms are in or out) and
on structure (how those terms relate). This process can
take several weeks or even several months.”
Hugh Dubberly, Creating Concept Maps, http://www.dubberly.com/concept-maps/creating-concept-maps.html
Hugh Dubberly on how long it takes

Initially, is the content that matters most:

• the names for the “things”
 
(“is an entrepreneur also a citizen?”),

• the types of relationships
 
(“A is part of B”, “A generates B”, “A is responsible for many B’s”),

• whether the described elements are new or existing, and
in scope or out of scope
 
(“do My Amsterdam status updates end up in the city archive, or does the
system have a separate archive?”)
Peter’s 4 phases

Concept diagrams will go through many iterations, so
don’t try to get too hung up on the layout or visual design.
It is okay if they are rough sketches that you update after
every meeting or a good night sleep. Some limited use of
color may be useful, as well as varying line thickness.
Peter’s 4 phases

Later, when you share your diagrams with others, you will
want to align core elements visually:

• Main concepts may end up at the centre, on opposite
sides of the diagram, or in corners.

• Similar concepts get grouped together and their boxes
are given the same size.

• You may even decide to use icons or small illustrations
for some of the concepts (different types of users, or
paper versus screens), but don’t do that for all of them.
Peter’s 4 phases

The most important lesson is: Always be open to feedback
from others and suggestions for improvements of the
diagram; it is the shared understanding of the concepts
and their relationships that counts!
Peter’s 4 phases

“Use concept models for yourself. Ultimately, they are the
most sel
fi
sh, introspective, and self-indulgent artifact, a
means for facilitating your own creative process.”
Dan Brown, Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning
why make a concept diagram?

“There really is only one reason to create a concept model:
to understand the different kinds of information that the site
needs to display. This structure can drive requirements for
the page designs, helping you to determine how to link
templates to each other. With the structure ironed out, you
might also use the model to help scope your project—
determining what parts of the site to build when.
Dan Brown, Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning

“A good one will clarify hidden complexity and highlight
overlooked opportunities. It’ll guide the team to produce
user interfaces that are coherent, clear, and solve real
problems for the user.”
Jorge Arango, A Pain With No Name, https://jarango.com/2018/03/26/a-pain-with-no-name/

“By carefully crafting an explicit conceptual model focused
squarely on the target task-domain, and then, and only
then, designing a user interface from that, the resulting
product or service will be simpler, more coherent, and
easier to learn.”
Jeff Johnson & Austin Henderson, Conceptual Models, http://interactions.acm.org/archive/view/january-2002/conceptual-models1

“I teach user experience design, and my syllabus always
includes concept models. Students of mine who do a
concept model before working on the interaction design
and information architecture always make better and more
coherent products. The act of ordering information forces
them to think through how all the disparate elements of a
product
fi
t together.”
Christina Wodtke, How to make a concept model, https://boxesandarrows.com/how-to-make-a-concept-model/

The act of making and re
fi
ning the diagram allows the
designers and their stakeholders to discuss and agree on
the scope of the product or service that is proposed, its
terminology, and its so-called ’umfeld' (environment).
Labelling the relationships between concepts helps to
discover many types of requirements. The resulting
diagrams are great visual aids when telling the story of a
product or service that doesn't exist yet.

concept A concept B
relationship
scope
environment
they are story-telling devices for products or services

Bootstrapping the Information Architecture (Italian IA Summit)

Bootstrapping the Information Architecture (Italian IA Summit)

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