Flag

We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine. Here are ways you can help

Home ›› Business Value and ROI ›› 6 Key Questions to Guide International UX Research ›› Hey, Information Architect, What Do You Do?

Hey, Information Architect, What Do You Do?

by UX Magazine Staff
2 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

If you are or have ever been an IA, we want to hear about your skills, techniques, outputs, and responsibilities.

In our recent article “Who Are We and What Are We Doing?” we noted that our research has exposed the immaturity of the UX field, and that “for all the growth, interest, and importance surrounding user-centered ideas and practices, our professional milieu is still a disorderly jungle.”

We received a great deal of input from the UX community in favor actually doing something to detangle this disorderly jungle.

So we’re daring to be bold and are doing something that will let us see out over the treetops. To do this, we need your help.

At one point in the article, we asked: “Is a self-described information architect at Amazon in Seattle the same person as an information architect at a marketing and interactive agency in Omaha?”

The answer is “no,” but that doesn’t mean that the term “information architect” is meaningless. While no two IAs will do the exact same things in the exact same ways, it should be possible to discern some generally accepted and understood skills, techniques, outputs, responsibilities, etc., that information architects have in common.

While there are other terms and job titles in the UX space that are inconsistent and obscure, information architecture is a good place to start detangling. So we want to throw this question to the user-centered community:

“Hey, information architect, what do you do?”

We’re looking forward to hearing from a diversity of IAs so we can begin to build a foundational understanding of the meaning of “information architecture.”

Please send us your answers through social media—Twitter, Facebook, Google+, even Instagram or Vine if that suits your response. Be sure to include the hashtag #HeyIA in your message.

We’ll be monitoring the activity on Tagboard. Throughout the campaing we’ll be hand selecting the best responses to become part of a larger initiative that’s taking shape as we write this.

How we’re able to use this information to forge a solid understanding of what an information architect is and does depends on you. This is an opportunity for you to get your ideas recognized and be part of a source of knowledge that will be shared back with the UX community, so please follow the #HeyIA hashtag and help us set the tone and pace of a vigorous conversation on an important subject.

The question “What do you do” is very general, so we’ll be following up with more specific questions to get deeper and broader into building a foundational understanding of the IA role.

Once we’ve got IA firmed up, we’ll move on to the next nebulous UX role, so if you’re not an IA, just wait! We’ll be starting a conversation about your work soon.

Image of mic courtesy Shutterstock

post authorUX Magazine Staff

UX Magazine Staff, UX Magazine was created to be a central, one-stop resource for everything related to user experience. Our primary goal is to provide a steady stream of current, informative, and credible information about UX and related fields to enhance the professional and creative lives of UX practitioners and those exploring the field. Our content is driven and created by an impressive roster of experienced professionals who work in all areas of UX and cover the field from diverse angles and perspectives.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Related Articles

Article by Josh Tyson
Meet the Intelligent Digital Worker, Your New AI Teammate
  • The article introduces the concept of Intelligent Digital Workers (IDWs), advanced bots designed to assist humans in various workplace functions, emphasizing their role in augmenting human capabilities and enhancing organizational efficiency.
Share:Meet the Intelligent Digital Worker, Your New AI Teammate
3 min read
Article by Josh Tyson
Everything I Really Needed to Know About Technology I Learned on a Skateboard
  • The article explores parallels between skateboarding and technology, highlighting lessons learned from embracing motion, failure, and inclusivity in navigating the dynamic landscape of AI and innovation.
Share:Everything I Really Needed to Know About Technology I Learned on a Skateboard
7 min read

As consumers’ privacy concerns continue to grow, so should our attention to addressing privacy issues as user experience designers.

Article by Robert Stribley
Designing for Privacy in an Increasingly Public World
  • The article delves into the rising importance of addressing privacy concerns in user experience design, offering insights and best practices for designers and emphasizing the role of client cooperation in safeguarding user privacy.
Share:Designing for Privacy in an Increasingly Public World
9 min read

Did you know UX Magazine hosts the most popular podcast about conversational AI?

Listen to Invisible Machines

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and