We call what we do Information Architecture. We don’t call it information engineering or information development. The word “architecture” is intentional. So here goes, I’m just going to say it: Unlike software engineering and software development, Agile doesn’t really work for Information Architecture. It can get in the way. In some cases, it can cause …

Why it’s called Information Architecture Read More »

In this two-part series, I will be borrowing from the presentation I gave at the Information Architecture Conference earlier this year: Moving Information Across Boundaries, Information Theory for Information Architecture. (1 of 2)

In this two-part series, I will be borrowing from the presentation I gave at the Information Architecture Conference earlier this year: Moving Information Across Boundaries, Information Theory for Information Architecture. (1 of 2)

If you’re building a list of holidays for your local business – to celebrate events, or plan which days to be closed, or temporarily change your website banner accordingly, or promote a seasonal sale – a list of local culturally recognized holidays is probably fine. No one will care if mom and pop’s central Iowa …

When Is a Holiday Not a Holiday? Read More »

Every organization is in the information business; most work centers around organizing , governing, and distributing information. Sometimes the information itself is the end product: content, whether streaming videos or articles on a website, needs to be organized so that people can find what they’re looking for. The same applies to products: digital environments have …

Everyone Is in the Information Business Read More »

On Taxonomy Governance I believe most taxonomists would agree that building taxonomies is fun. Most taxonomists also do not spend most of their time building taxonomies.  Rather, after a taxonomy program is up and running most of a taxonomist’s effort is spent on taxonomy governance. Many words have been spilled on taxonomy governance; a Google …

A Taxonomy of Taxonomy Governance Read More »

In part 1, I wrote about Information Architecture (IA) fundamentally moving information from one place to another. While that article touched on some of the practical implications, this part focuses on how focussing on understanding the alignment of users and the capability of the communication channel can  inform and focus the IA work. Information is …

Information Theory for IA – Part 2 Read More »