my grandmother the information architect: the ia of everyday life hallie wilfert...

My Grandmother the Information Architect: The IA of Everyday Life

Hallie Wilferthalliewilfert@gmail.com

Meet my grandmother

Meet my grandmother

Meet my grandmother

IA & Home Organization

Methodology

Definition of an Information Architect

Clarifies the mission and the vision for the site, balancing the needs of its sponsoring organization and the needs of its audiences

Determines what content and functionality the site will contain

Specifies how users will find information in the site by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems

Maps out how the site will accommodate change and growth over time.

Clarifies the mission and the vision for the site, balancing the needs of its sponsoring organization and the needs of its audiences

Determines what content and functionality the site will contain

Specifies how users will find information in the site by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems

Maps out how the site will accommodate change and growth over time.

Clarifies the mission and the vision for her home, balancing the needs of my grandfather and the needs of visitors and house guests.

Determines what content and functionality her home will contain

Specifies how users will find things in her home by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems

Maps out how her home will accommodate change and growth over time, e.g., moving to a smaller place.

Content Inventories

Lesson: Take time to do things right and you will not have to do them again

...not for a while, anyway

The Christmas Tree

Lesson: There's space for everything as long as everything is labeled clearly

Lesson: Give items enough space and make what is going on as transparent as possible

My grandma’s audience

Audience of one Grandma is the gatekeeper through

whom all things must pass Keeps things consistent Keeps things under her control

In a different household…

Grandma’s Junk Drawer

My Junk Drawer

Grandma vs. Hallie

Card Sorting

Grandma says,

“Don’t look in the den, nothing’s in it’s place. I mean I have everything in groupings, but nothing is where it should be yet.”

Card Sorting

Card Sorting

Warning: Sometimes, even the best IA gets in too deep

Warning: Sometimes, even the best IA gets in too deep

So what else?

Grandma has more to teach us than just how to organize

Possible traits of an organized person

Demanding

Possible traits of an organized person

Exacting

Possible traits of an organized person

Inquisitive

Possible traits of an organized person

Persistent

Possible traits of an organized person

Know-it-all

Possible feelings about an organized person

Resentment

Possible feelings about an organized person

Passive Aggression

Possible feelings about an organized person

Hoping you’ll just go away

Possible feelings about an organized person

Acceptance

Possible feelings about Information Architects

Are impediments to getting things done

Think they know everythingAct like their way is the only

way

A NAG!

What does this make you?

Prove that IAs make everyone's job easier

Understand that everyone is capable of doing IA

Try, try again - persistence pays off

So what can we do?

What if you don't have a grandma like this?

Everyone uses information architectureJunk drawersSorting laundryPantries

IA is everywhere

Home organization in popular cultureReal Simple magazine & onlineContainer StoreProfessional organizers

IA in magazines

Real Simple says

“Imagine the potential buyer (or worse, a relative) going through your closets or drawers. What would you not want him or her to see?”

“Tackling clutter without knowing your priorities can be counterproductive. ‘People who take a “tidy up” approach are actually rearranging rather than organizing…Sooner or later, the space relapses to its original condition.’”

IA in magazines

IA in magazines

IA in stores

IA in stores

IA in books

IA from the Books

Organization from the Inside Out says

“Being organized has less to to with the way an environment looks than how effectively it functions.

If a person can find what he or she needs when he or she needs it, feels unencumbered in achieving his or her goals, and is happy in his or her space, then that person is well organized.”

What we’ve learned

Take time to do things right and you will not have to do them again

There's space for everything as long as everything is labeled clearly

Give items enough space and make what is going on as transparent as possible

Sometimes, even the best IA gets in too deep It might not be love at first “site” (groan), but everyone can

learn to love their IA Information Architecture is everywhere if we know where to

look

Thank you!

Hallie Wilfert

halliewilfert@gmail.com