Given at the IA Conference in 2019, this talk connects the practices of org design with the practices, skills, and values from information architecture.

1. Org Design is (largely) an
information architecture
challenge
Peter Merholz
@peterme
http://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com
IN LARGE PART

5. information architecture
applied to organization design

6. “Organization design is the deliberate process of
configuring structures, processes, reward systems, and
people practices to create an effective organization
capable of achieving the business strategy.”
jaygalbraith.com
🤔

7. 5 Stages of Organizational Evolution
Software Products
Hardware Products Environments
Communications
Interaction Design
Information Architecture
Visual Design
Prototyping
Industrial Design Wayfinding
Interior Architecture
Brand Identity Design
Graphic Design
Information Design
Motion Graphics
Packaging
The Journey
Service Design
Content
Copywriting
Content Strategy
Videography
Photography
Research
Ethnographic research
Usability testing
Quantitative studies
…Skills… …and conceptual levels
1 ft
Surface
10,000 ft
1,000 ft
The Big Picture
100 ft
Strategy
10 ft
Structure
Foundation
1. Shared sense of purpose
2. Focused, empowered leadership
3. Authentic user empathy
4. Understand, articulate, and create value
Management
9. Treat team members as people, not resources
10. Diversity of perspective and background
11. Foster a collaborative environment
12. Manage operations effectively
Output
5. Support the entire journey
6. Delivers at all levels of scale
7. Establish and uphold standards of quality
8. Values delivery over perfection
12 Qualities of Effective Design Organizations
Taxonomy of roles…
Leadership
Head of Design
Design Manager/Director
Creative Director
Team Lead
Director of Research
Director of Design Program
Management
Staff
Product Designer
Communication Designer
Content Strategist
UX Researcher
Service Designer
Program Manager
Creative Technologist

8. A specific case in point…

9. Skills
Core Digital Design Skills
User research
Information architecture
Interaction design
Visual design
Writing
Service design
Prototyping
Front-end development
Interpersonal Skills
Professionalism
Communication and presentation
Facilitation
Listening
Leadership
Strategy
Empathy and compassion
Confidence and swagger
Planning
Mentorship
Information Architecture challenge
• Uniqueness (aka splitting)
• Clear, distinct labeling
• Chunking (to make a point)
• Rigorous and complete
• Plugs into other components

10. Roles
Leadership
Head of Design
Design Manager/Director
Creative Director
Team Lead
Director of Research
Director of Design Program
Management
Staff
Product Designer
Communication Designer
Content Strategist
UX Researcher
Service Designer
Program Manager
Creative Technologist
Information Architecture challenge
• Balance between specificity and
generality (between lumping and splitting)
• Complete
• Manageable

12. Levels
Combines skills development, role definition into a
framework that supports a career
Are a “core service” that supports other org functions
Levels
Job postings
Candidate
assessment
Training
Performance
reviews
Recruiting
and hiring
Professional
Development
Team
composition
Delivery

13. With an IA that’s too simplistic…
• Overly deterministic
• Linear
• Doesn’t recognize growth in
different areas
• No chunking — doesn’t tame complexity
A not-great example

14. http://bit.ly/levelsframework

15. Information Architecture challenge
• Specific enough that there’s certainty as
to where someone fits
• Open/general enough that it supports
good conversations between a manager
and their report
• Trying to avoid making something that is
too deterministic
• Focuses on what is truly salient for
thinking about growth — as few items as
possible
• Helps track growth along different
vectors
• Supports multiple paths for growth,
including across roles
Capable Strong Expert
Product Designer
Level 1 Interaction Design
Prototyping
Visual Design
Level 2 Prototyping
Front-end Development
Visual Design
Interaction Design
Level 3 Front-end Development
User Research
Visual Design
Prototyping
Interaction Design
UX Researcher
Level 1 Writing
Interaction Design
User Research
Level 2 Writing
Service Design
User Research
Interaction Design
Level 3 Writing
Information Architecture
Interaction Design
Service Design
User Research

16. Everywhere I’ve introduced this approach, someone from HR
asked if they could use the model for the whole organization.

17. And now, thanks to my
IA-informed approaches…

18. Realize
need for
job
Look for a
job
Apply for a
job
Be screened Interview for
job
Get hired Start job WorkWORKER
JOURNEY
EMPLOYER
JOURNEY
Looking to
fill open
position
Research
services
Post a job Review
applicants
Communicate
with applicants
Interview
applicants
Hire
candidate
Onboard
new hire
Manage
work
Metrics of focus:
Active Workers
Active Locations
Completed hires
Hired the day I applied
Completed Shifts
WORKER
ONLY
JOINT
EMPLOYER ONLY
ACQUIRE FIND APPLY INTERVIEW HIRE WORK`
Search Google
Ask friends
Search job sites
Trawl Craigslist
Fill out application
Send application
Call/Text/Message/Email
Schedule interview In person interview
Review Application
Decline applicant
Extend offer/accept or
reject offer
Review
applications sent
Write job description
Post job description
New hire paperwork
Training/onboarding
Pay for posting
Go/no-go per
applicant
Decline applicant
Phone screen
Manage schedule
across interviews
Manage schedule
Add new hire to
schedule
Read postings
Save search
Save job
Fill out profile
Follow up with
hiring manager
Walk in and ask for
hiring manager
Check status
Post on other job
boards (Indeed,
Craigslist,FB)
Reschedule interviewCancel interview
Buy attired needed for
uniform
Check schedule
Make adjustments to
schedule
Communicate start
date
Show upShow up Show upReferrals from
“good”
employees
Walk in and ask
for application
EMPLOYER
PLATFORM
Communicate with
workers/managers
Manage shifts
Get paid
Pay staff
Save applicant for
future opening
Search worker profiles
(Recognize that there’s lots more
to ‘work’ than what’s shown here.)
Parents bug me
Need money for
activities
Someone left
Someone
promoted
Visit multiple job
boards
Conduct job
search
Referral from
other bsiness
owner
Account mgmt Dashboards Location management Billing
WORKER
TOOLS
(PLATFORM)
Account mgmt Availability Profile
Questions / Issues:
- What all should go under acquisition
- Can Find (Match) be worker-only (from an experience stand point)?
- If so, does “Post a job” become part of Employer Platform?
- Is Apply part of “Find”, “Interview” or its own thing?
- Where does Worker Profile (and things like Availability) live? Is it in
platform, and used by the other tribes? Does each tribe own a piece of
it? Historically, it’s a lack of clear ownership of these shared items that
have caused problems
- How do we handle functionality (messaging, scheduling) that will need
to be shared across tribes?
- Who owns web and mobile (and email?) Oas channels?
# visitors # ? # applications # Interviews scheduled
% interview show
# hires
time to hire
% First day show
# WAU
# shifts filled
Principles of org structure:
Teams as small as possible
Durable - this should last
Outcome-oriented
High velocity/performance
SCREEN
% candidates
reached
Respond to screening
questions

19. Realize
need for
job
Look for a
job
Apply for a
job
Be screened Interview for
job
Get hired Start job WorkWORKER
JOURNEY
EMPLOYER
JOURNEY
Looking to
fill open
position
Research
services
Post a job Review
applicants
Communicate
with applicants
Interview
applicants
Hire
candidate
Onboard
new hire
Manage
work
Metrics of focus:
Active Workers
Active Locations
Completed hires
Hired the day I applied
Completed Shifts
WORKER
ONLY
JOINT
EMPLOYER ONLY
ACQUIRE FIND APPLY INTERVIEW HIRE WORK`
Search Google
Ask friends
Search job sites
Trawl Craigslist
Fill out application
Send application
Call/Text/Message/Email
Schedule interview In person interview
Review Application
Decline applicant
Extend offer/accept or
reject offer
Review
applications sent
Write job description
Post job description
New hire paperwork
Training/onboarding
Pay for posting
Go/no-go per
applicant
Decline applicant
Phone screen
Manage schedule
across interviews
Manage schedule
Add new hire to
schedule
Read postings
Save search
Save job
Fill out profile
Follow up with
hiring manager
Walk in and ask for
hiring manager
Check status
Post on other job
boards (Indeed,
Craigslist,FB)
Reschedule interviewCancel interview
Buy attired needed for
uniform
Check schedule
Make adjustments to
schedule
Communicate start
date
Show upShow up Show upReferrals from
“good”
employees
Walk in and ask
for application
EMPLOYER
PLATFORM
Communicate with
workers/managers
Manage shifts
Get paid
Pay staff
Save applicant for
future opening
Search worker profiles
(Recognize that there’s lots more
to ‘work’ than what’s shown here.)
Parents bug me
Need money for
activities
Someone left
Someone
promoted
Visit multiple job
boards
Conduct job
search
Referral from
other bsiness
owner
Account mgmt Dashboards Location management Billing
WORKER
TOOLS
(PLATFORM)
Account mgmt Availability Profile
Questions / Issues:
- What all should go under acquisition
- Can Find (Match) be worker-only (from an experience stand point)?
- If so, does “Post a job” become part of Employer Platform?
- Is Apply part of “Find”, “Interview” or its own thing?
- Where does Worker Profile (and things like Availability) live? Is it in
platform, and used by the other tribes? Does each tribe own a piece of
it? Historically, it’s a lack of clear ownership of these shared items that
have caused problems
- How do we handle functionality (messaging, scheduling) that will need
to be shared across tribes?
- Who owns web and mobile (and email?) Oas channels?
# visitors # ? # applications # Interviews scheduled
% interview show
# hires
time to hire
% First day show
# WAU
# shifts filled
Principles of org structure:
Teams as small as possible
Durable - this should last
Outcome-oriented
High velocity/performance
SCREEN
% candidates
reached
Respond to screening
questions
Acquire Find and Apply Recruit and Hire Work
Worker Design
Employer Design
Worker
Acquisition
Employer
Acquisition
Match
Sourcing and
Postings
Recruit
Messaging
Scheduling
Onsite
Experience
no. visitors no. applications no. hired no. shifts

20. PIILLAR 1
Sponsor
Full-time Leader
Program
S.M. Lead S.M. Lead S.M. Lead
TOPIC TOPIC TOPIC
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
PILLLAR 2
Sponsor
Full-time Leader
Program
S.M. Lead S.M. Lead S.M. Lead
TOPIC TOPIC TOPIC
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
PILLAR 3
Sponsor
Full-time Leader
Program
S.M. Lead S.M. Lead S.M. Lead
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
WTD Lead
SME
General Worker
SUBJECT MATTER PILLARS PROGRAM ORGANIZATION
Leader 1 Leader 2 Leader 3 Leader 4
Accel Svcs Lead Ops Specialist
S.A. Generalist
Business AnalystInsights
Program
Integration Lead S.A. Generalist Comms
ProgramProgram WTD Coach
TOPIC TOPIC TOPIC
Strategy Lead S.A. Generalist Comms
Program WTD Specialist
WTD Consultant WTD Consultant
Facilitation Lead Facilitator
Member Insights
Expert
Visual Designer
PILLAR
PILLAR
OUTCOME
TOPIC
PROJECT
PILLAR LEADERSHIP PILLAR LEADERSHIP PILLAR LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP TEAM
STRATEGY TEAM
INTEGRATION TEAM
ACCELERATION SERVICES WTD CONSULTING
Theme Team (TBD) Theme Team (TBD) Theme Team (TBD) Leader 5
Admin Support Admin Support Admin Support
“Team of Teams” diagram for a healthcare company
WORK TEAMS
(never underestimate the power of visualizing an abstraction)

21. The untapped opportunity

22. “IA Thinking”
(Thanks )
Systems Thinking
Exposing, embracing, and
exploiting complexity
Structure
Pace layers, relationships
between components
Semantics
Understanding, meaning,
language, categorization
Foundational / deepLevers Conceptual

23. “IA Thinking”
Systems Thinking Structure Semantics
“Information architecture is the deep
state of any even moderately complex
human interaction.”
— Me, today
Human Resources
Organization Design
Institutional Architecture
Creative Production
Public Policy
Political Science
Economics
Law
Product Management
Sales and Marketing
Business Administration
Management Consulting
Operations
Program Management
Education
Retail
Service Design
Logistics
Anthropology
Sociology
Finance
Facilities Management
Leadership Coaching
Medicine and Care Delivery
Planning
Customer Service and Support
Data Science
Journalism
Urban and Regional Planning
Design and User Experience
“IA Thinking” enhances any of these fields…

24. Thank you for your
attention.
Peter Merholz
@peterme
http://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com