Information Architecture for Everyone

This talk makes a broad attempt to answer the question “What is Information Architecture?”, covering examples from various spheres of life.

This talk was presented at Hillhacks 2018 https://hillhacks.in and was slightly adapted from the previous talk presented at WIAD New Delhi 2018: https://speakerdeck.com/souvikdg/information-architecture-for-everyone-wiad

Transcript

1. Information Architecture for everyone
2. @souvikdg
3. Miranj
5. By the end of this talk you 
 should be aware of what is
 Information Architecture
 without facing jargon-bullets.
6. “Architecture”
7. Photo credit: variationblogr on Visual Hunt / CC BY
8. а print from sortavala architecture book by Sasha ЯR on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/rotten_reverie/8103565216
9. а print from sortavala architecture book by Sasha ЯR on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/rotten_reverie/8103565216 Blueprint
10. “Architecture” may refer to two different things
11. Conceptual Structure a.k.a. blueprint or technical drawing
12. A Practice i.e. application of skill or knowledge
13. Information Architecture refers to both, but in this talk
 we’re mainly talking about the practice
14. 9 4 49 25 16 __
15. 4 9 16 25 __ 49
16. 4 9 16 25 __ 49 36
17. 4 8 16 32 __ 128
18. 4 8 16 32 __ 128 64
19. 4 8 15 16 __ 42
21. 9 4 49 16 25 __ 36
22. wtf-am-i-supposed-to-do-wit by kris krüg on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/18768224 Mess
23. wtf-am-i-supposed-to-do-wit by kris krüg on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/18768224 Mess disorganised or disarranged
 and therefore not understandable
24. mess by amanda on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/pinprick/5879923126
25. Unkept Room by Tom Blackwell on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjblackwell/6007033415
26. Photo credit: José Morcillo Valenciano on Visual Hunt / CC BY
27. –Abby Covert Information Architect and author of How to Make Sense of Any Mess “I define the word ‘mess’ the same way that most dictionaries do: A situation where the interactions between people and information are confusing or full of difficulties.”
28. Mess
30. Mess is somewhat manageable in small amounts
32. Mess is a problem at scale
33. Order by Volgar on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/volgar/27461981479
34. Tukwila/International Blvd Station Parking lot by Atomic Taco on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/atomictaco/4333647127
35. Tukwila/International Blvd Station Parking lot by Atomic Taco on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/atomictaco/4333647127 Mess may be visually neat and tidy
36. India by Herry Lawford on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/herry/6779074382
37. My destroyed desk by josephbergen on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbergen/2128605950
38. My destroyed desk by josephbergen on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbergen/2128605950 Mess is not about visual neatness or aesthetics
39. Mess
40. Mess
41. Information Architecture
42. –The Information Architecture Institute “Information architecture is the practice of deciding how to arrange the parts of something to be understandable.”
43. Where do you encounter IA? well, everywhere
44. French dictionary page2 by Liz Eckmann on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/24498687@N03/2337550017
45. Old Map (33) by rosario fiore on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/38703275@N06/6884558828
46. Docos by John Keogh on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jvk/6721198
47. Facebook Messenger app by PROKārlis Dambrāns on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/janitors/14039237076
48. arsp_064 by Anthony Ryan on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/useanthonyryansphotos/7946386402
49. Exhibition Hall by Robert Ziegler on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/63998580@N06/5980150860
50. buffet by bigbigbigbigtoe on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/10402746@N04/7165271584
51. House Numbering An example
52. What are the different ways of organising houses numbers?
53. European Scheme / Odd and Even
54. Clockwise Scheme
55. Distance Scheme
56. –No one, ever “Hey, nice IA!”
57. IA is typically accepted as is
58. Organising Things so that they make sense
59. –Most people while experiencing mess “Where am I?” “Where am I supposed to go next?” “Where do I find something” “This doesn’t make any sense!”
60. Broadly speaking…
61. Labelling Structuring
 Grouping
 Arranging
62. Block Diagram Flow Diagram Gantt Chart Quadrant Diagram Venn Diagram Swim Lane Diagram Hierarchy Diagram Mind Map Schematic Journey Map
63. “Architecture”
64. information by Tobi Gaulke on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-gato-gato/12851862915
65. information by Tobi Gaulke on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-gato-gato/12851862915 Information Architect
66. information by Tobi Gaulke on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-gato-gato/12851862915 –Abby Covert in How to Make Sense of Mess “Every mess and every thing shares one important non-thing : information.”
67. information by Tobi Gaulke on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-gato-gato/12851862915 –Richard Saul Wurman Regarded as the Father of Information Architecture “An information architect is the individual who organises the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear.”
68. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242
69. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 “Black Box” things we don’t see or understand
70. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 Break Away thoughtfully and deliberately
71. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 Break Away from internal biases
72. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 Break Away from existing paradigms
73. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 Break Away from known structures
74. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 Break Away from visual neatness or aesthetics
75. 365 0917 by Tim Caynes on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/timcaynes/5408753242 Break Away and question until we reach clarity in 
 understanding the properties inherent in things
76. Scrabble Tiles and Scrapbooking Letters 3 by Barbara Mazz on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/electricporcupine/4623214027
77. Scrabble Tiles and Scrapbooking Letters 3 by Barbara Mazz on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/electricporcupine/4623214027 See through the mess,
 and help others.
78. Let’s try it…
79. But first, some theory…
80. What are the different ways of organising things?
81. Random is not really a useful way
82. –Richard Saul Wurman “Information may be infinite, however… The organisation of information is finite as it can only be organised by LATCH: Location, Alphabet, Time, Category, or Hierarchy.”
83. Location spatially
84. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
85. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dorsal_Ventral_Body_Cavities.jpg
86. Alphabet alphabetically
87. Little phone by John Sheldon on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/18909153@N08/6965138569
88. Lord to Mumps by Kevin Grocki on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/kgrocki/4353715409
89. Time chronologically
90. Music by Jesse Kruger on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jessekruger/390534244
91. Photo credit: aafes49 on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-ND
92. Category similarity
95. Hierarchy continuum or rank
96. Photo credit: Gilbert R. on visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND
97. Mailboxes by Lodewijk van den Broek on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/12760128@N04/3765909892
98. Location Alphabet
 Time
 Category Hierarchy
99. Now let’s try it
100. The recipe by Bill Holsinger-Robinson on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/billhr/3190017092
101. The recipe by Bill Holsinger-Robinson on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/billhr/3190017092 Cookbook
102. The recipe by Bill Holsinger-Robinson on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/billhr/3190017092 If you have a large collection of food recipes, what are the ways in which you could arrange them?
103. Location Alphabet
 Time
 Category Hierarchy
105. Information
 is subjective
107. My destroyed desk by josephbergen on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbergen/2128605950
108. Information
109. User Context
110. Information User Context
111. Information User Context IA
112. –The Information Architecture Institute “Information architecture is the practice of deciding how to arrange the parts of something to be understandable.”
113. –Me “Information Architecture is the thoughtful, deliberate practice of achieving a shared mental model, and further applying it to make 
 something understandable”
114. You’re now an Information Architect…
115. …and can possibly save the world from mess.
116. ! Thanks Chris How — All You Need To Know About IA In 10 Minutes
 Abby Covert — How to Make Sense of Any Mess