One of our clients is taking a class on information architecture at USDA's Graduate School and as part of the class, he had to interview an information architect. So he sent me an email with a list of questions. In answering his questions, I was forced to think hard about what I do, and surfaced some of the deeper thought processes that I use when working on IA. I thought it may be helpful to share parts of the interview.


How did you find your way into the filed of information architecture?

I studied architecture in grad school, but one of my professors had a startup that specialized in building online communities during the dot-com boom years. I started out as a web developer, but soon, as the sites began to scale and become more complex, I started think about the user's experience, layout, and structure of the sites we were building out. I later found out that this was Information Architecture.


What type of training do you have in the IA field?

Like I mentioned above, I was originally trained as an architect.

When I first moved into information architecture, I wasn't sure how my education related to information architecture, but increasingly I am finding it relevant. First of all, architecture is about bring together and negotiating systems - structural, HVAC, enclosure while accommodating the function it needs to house, all the while reflecting the needs of the client. On top of that add culture, philosophy and art. This is what I do in IA - negotiate systems - database, content, layout, and design systems.

Secondly, architecture is about the human body. All architecture recognizes the human dimension and scale. A door knob needs to be mounted at a certain height. The windows open a certain way. The ceiling height is a certain height. Stairs need landings and have set dimensions for them to be comfortable. On the web, we call this usability. So my training in architecture made thinking about how users want to interact with sites almost second nature to me.

Thirdly, architecture is about circulation. How does a concert hall allow for the musicians, staff and concert-goers all to use the concert hall in an optimal way. Similarly, in IA, we have to understand who the audiences are, and how they want to navigate the site. This is navigation design.

Lastly, architecture provided me with a design sense: proportions, colors, layout, rhythm, white space, etc.

Of course, I also supplemented this background with books, articles, discussions, training and conferences which were IA specific, and a heavy dose of on-the-job training.


How do you describe to others, non-techies, what you do?

Increasingly I don't describe myself as an "information architect", but a "user experience designer". As such I describe myself as the "user advocate" in a project. The one person that stands up for the needs of the users. Clients can relate to that, and often see it as the reason they need to redesign their site - because their users are having such a tough time finding stuff.

In Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville's now famous Venn diagram that describes IA, it shows the information architect needs to balance Content, Context, and User needs. I'd say yes to that, but I approach things with a bias on how the User needs to access and use the information, and whether what we are designing are meeting this needs.


How do you work with clients to help them understand the importance of IA in terms of their sites structure when they are solely focused on flash and pizzazz of new technologies?

You have to communicate the "Then what?" factor. Flash and pizzazz is all fine - I am not against that, but once the users attention is grabbed, then what? How are they going to keep the users, and get them to do what you want them to do, whether it's sign a petition or buy a book. Therein lies the information architecture challenge. You may have a big sign saying how great your ski resort is, but when you get there, if you find that the parking lot is too small or badly organized, the ticket booth is crowded, the ski rental is a joke and the slopes are not very well maintained, do you think you'll return?


What do you see as some of the biggest issues moving forward in IA?

This is continuing challenge really - continuing to promote awareness that it's not about technology. Technology is the vehicle. It's about modeling human needs and designing interactions that reinforce and extend the way that people relate to each other and access information.