Exploring and expanding the ontologies of information architecture

Eric Reiss@elreiss

World IA Day9 February 2013

Los Angeles, USA

ObservationsStories

Lessons

Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

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Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

Elephant in the room today

Snow Semmelweis Taylor

1854 Broad St. cholera outbreak

The Hemline Index

(psst…Eric…remember to talk about deconstruction and small data)

Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

firmitas, utilitas, venustas

Marco Vitruvius Pollio

Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

Source: Standard screen patterns by Theresa Neil

Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

Eric’s life-lesson #1

Don’t worship the form.

Embrace the content and context.

Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

ag·ileadj

1 : able to move quickly and easily2 : mentally quick and resourceful

The three Scrum questions1. What did you do yesterday?

2. What will you do today

3. What is blocking your progress?

The three Scrum questions1. What did you do yesterday?

I sailed west.2. What will you do today?

Sail back to where I was yesterday.3. What is blocking your progress?

These fucking Scrum meetings!

My Favourite Process

DWYNTDTGTSD

Do What You Need To Do To Get The Shit Done

Eric’s life-lesson #2

Don’t become a slave to process.

Break the rules.Accept the unexpected.

Some thoughts from today

� It’s all Greek to me…A firm notionBig data, bigger insightsPutting the “A” into “IA”

� Design or mass-production?� Process or pedantry?� The Charles H. Duell myth

Charles H. DuellU.S. Patent Commissioner, 1899

(an urban myth)

“There is nothing left to invent…”

Could there also be too much complacency in our industry today?

Can we put our work intohistorical perspective ?

1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

Wall St. crash

First commercialautomobile

First series-producedautomobiles

First assembly line

1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001

Wall St. crash

First commercialautomobile

First series-producedautomobiles

First assembly line

1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001

Wall St. crash

First commercialautomobile

First series-producedautomobiles

First commercialweb browser

First commercialwebsites

Dot-bomb

First assembly line

First commercialCMS

1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001

Wall St. crash

First commercialautomobile

First series-producedautomobiles

First commercialweb browser

First commercialwebsites

Dot-bomb

First assembly line

First commercialCMS

So, we’re somewhere in the 1980s...

“Cease not to learn until thou cease to live. Think that day lost wherein thou draw’st no letter to make thyself more learn’d , wiser, and better.”

Guy Du Faur de Pibrac

My big message:Don’t be complacent.

And you CANchange the world,so get on with it!

You can (usually) find Eric at:The FatDUX Group ApSStrandøre 15DK-2100 CopenhagenDenmark

Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77Mobile: (+45) 20 12 88 44Twitter: @elreisser@fatdux.comwww.fatdux.com