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Facilitating holistic product decisions
with information architecture
Johanna Kollmann | @johannakoll | IA Summit 2017, Vancouver
CHALLENGES
“Multi-context” product
Website
Command-line tool
Integrations & notifications
Mental Model
System Model
Conceptual Model
We ended up designing “from the code layer out” - rather than having product intent drive the system.
HOLISTIC PRODUCT THINKING
CODE HAS IA
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
Lessons learned
From an IA’s point-of-view:
• How will user journeys change?
• What’s the new hierarchy?
• Does our taxonomy still work?
• What do we call features and product concepts?
• Which words will make sense to users, what have we learned from research?
Scenario: scaling the product
From an engineer’s point-of-view:
• How does the data model need to change to support this?
• How do existing code structures need to change?
• What do we call things in the code?
• What new services and capabilities will be required?
Scenario: scaling the product
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
2) Collaborate with system architects and engineers to ensure that concepts in the code match the product intent.
Lessons learned
• Re-architect the code to match the conceptual model
• Can you use the terms that are user-facing in the code?
• It is what’s in the code that will be used and remembered
Build from the product layer in - not from the code layer out
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
2) Collaborate with system architects and engineers to ensure that concepts in the code match the product intent.
3) Engage with, and inform, the IA of your system architecture.
Lessons learned
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
2) Collaborate with system architects and engineers to ensure that concepts in the code match the product intent.
3) Engage with, and inform, the IA of your system architecture.
Lessons learned
THINKING IN USER JOURNEYS IS HARD
Objectives + metrics
Epics
User stories
Tasks
Customer Needs Business goals
Feature
Discovery phase Feature plan
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
2) Collaborate with system architects and engineers to ensure that concepts in the code match the product intent.
3) Engage with, and inform, the IA of your system architecture.
4)Feature testing can create a shared understanding of high-priority features.
Lessons learned
Example credit: https://github.com/guidance-guarantee-programme/pension_guidance/blob/master/features/customer_booking_request.feature
Feature testing
• Written before you start coding
• Expressed in human language
• Facilitates understanding the feature
across the user journey
• Great for clarifying questions, easy to
collaborate on
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
2) Collaborate with system architects and engineers to ensure that concepts in the code match the product intent.
3) Engage with, and inform, the IA of your system architecture.
4) Feature testing can create a shared understanding of high-priority features.
5) Feature inventories that include engineering capabilities can provide a holistic overview across product and system architecture.
Lessons learned
Feature inventory
• High-value core features
• Map against channels, integrations,
whatever your context requires
• Map system architecture (services,
capabilities) against features
• Will inform API development
TAKE-AWAYS
Semantics matter! The code has IA and drives your engineering colleagues’ conceptual model.
Identify process points and tools that can connect the product and system architecture.
1) Concepts and language in the code beat the best diagrams.
2) Collaborate with system architects and engineers to ensure that concepts in the code match the product intent.
3) Engage with, and inform, the IA of your system architecture.
4) Feature testing can create a shared understanding of high-priority features.
5) Feature inventories that include engineering capabilities can provide a holistic overview across product and system architecture.
Lessons learned
say hi: @johannakoll
THANKS MERCI DANKE
