2014 Information Architecture Summit -- Reflections

I've just returned from the 2014 Information Architecture Summit, the 15th one. I first attended this event in 2001 in San Francisco, and I've been going ever since (barring illness).

I've pondered in the past why I keep going to the IA Summit. Most of my career inspiration has come from outside the field. There are no academic classes or tutorials offered. I don't hear about new research that expands our field. The program is nice, and there are some presentation that I enjoy, but its not the real reason I go to the summit.

The people are the real lure for the IA Summit. This is my tribe, these are my people, the one place I can go where I never, ever have to explain what I do. I don't have to apologize for being an introvert, for sitting back and listening. The structure of the summit supports people like me, with plenty of coffee breaks, hallway conversations and shared lunches. We welcome new people and have interesting conversations over food.

The 2014 IA Summit has changed many things for me.

In addition to hanging out with my peeps, I also heard many powerful messages. Some were formal presentations, others were hallway conversation. Until now, I thought I'd moved beyond IA. I thought my career growth would come from outside this domain and community. If I went back to school, I assumed it would have to be in another field.... Business administration. Cognitive Psychology. Computer Science. These aren't bad fields, and the knowledge they offer would be very beneficial to me. What troubles me is that I'm an information architect. I'm not an interaction designer, sociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, cognitive scientist, computer scientist or designer. I like those things and find them interesting, especially as they lend me tools to use to do what I do what I do best. But I don't identify as those things.

I'm an information architect. I framework. I listen. I understand. I explore. I clarify. I get overwhelmed by complexity. I doubt if things will ever become clear. I talk with others. I listen some more. I construct hypotheses. I build models. I wrangle oceans of information. I talk with users, customers, participants, members. I sketch. I ponder. I give up, but never for very long. I ask lots of questions. And I framework. Document, share, update, repeat.

What have I heard at the 2014 IA Summit that has provided me such relief? I heard that we've moved beyond the web but have kept our identity as information architects. I heard about reframing IA, designing for understanding, emphasizing context and many other things. Rather than talk about deliverables, we are talking about principles. We are demanding more substance from academia to clarify and extend these principles.

Andrea Resmini told me that IA's entered the mainstream when the web was born. We learned how to build intelligent navigation and search, promoted faceted classification and taxonomy. But we stagnated for a while and forgot to grow. Now, we are discovering that we don't just build navigation, we support wayfinding. We don't draw site maps, we show context. We don't build models, we support sense-making. And we can do this anywhere. We started with digital environments and are expanding from there. For example, I've architected future plans for non-profits, and revised messaging platforms for emerging startups, My current project is to create a culture of customer experience in a growing company, extending the company's vision within a framework centering the business around customer needs and goals. It's a messy project, with lots of ambiguity, false starts, and course corrections. But it's clear we are making a difference, helping others to make sense of how they fit in the company's vision and figuring out how to find their way within the organization.

This is the path I've taken, and until recently, I thought I was alone. I thought I needed to leave my chosen field in order to pursue the Next Step. But the 2014 IA Summit set me straight. Peter Morville summarized my feeling well:

"...there’s something about the summit that’s unsettling, and it’s not just that it’s hard to be new or that many of us are kinda off the map on the introvert scale. No, it’s deeper than that. People come to the summit and have a good time, but they leave with this uneasy feeling that they somehow missed something important. They don’t talk about it much. It’s actually a little embarrassing, so they bury it deep. And I feel bad for these folks. I want to reach out. I want to tell them a secret. You’re not alone. Really. Nobody understands information architecture. We don’t even know what it is. And that’s okay. That’s why we’re here."

Metaphors: Purple Kool-Aid, Religion and ...Star Trek?

I recently read a Facebook post from colleague, Lou Rosenfeld: 

"What's a gentler way to say "drank the Kool-Aid" without being so bland as "Got religion"?", he asks. Thirty-six people respond with clever suggestions. My favorites: "Bought the whole album", "Down with..." and "Wearing the team colors."

I was going to give a response, but after writing my 3rd paragraph, it seemed silly to continue on Facebook. The post obviously triggered something in me. Hence, you get to read about it on my blog. 

"Drank the Kool-Aid"

First, you left out an important word: "purple". The Kool-aid incident was a mass suicide of religious cult followers who lived in the US but moved to Guayana. It shocked the socks off our country and made it to the cover of Time Magazine. 

"Drank the Purple Kool-aid" refers to the blind faith needed to act or think in certain ways, regardless of the outcome. Over the years, "drinking the kool-aid" has been softened to signify that someone has become part of a group and thinks the way the group thinks, seeing the world similarly to the rest of the group, organization or company culture. I use it often with clients when I sell my consulting services, telling them that, as an outsider, I have a fresh perspective because I have not yet "drunk the kool-aid."  

Even with the back story, it doesn't really help to figure out what a different metaphor might be. Which is my favorite conundrum. If you want a similar metaphor, you need to deconstruct the current one, brainstorm different options, select specific attributes to emphasize, then put it all together in a story.

Deconstruct the Current Metaphor
First, the people who drank the original kool-aid were in a cult, and they were willing to follow the directions of their leader, even when they knew what the consequences would be. All 909 of them. So you have themes of a cult, of groups thinking alike, taking similar action, having similar viewpoints, doing something extreme, drinking a special liquid. There's a treasure trove of metaphor frameworks here. Woot!

1. Cult: although the original metaphor is religious, there are cults that aren't. There are also popular cults (ComiCon, Star Trek, Marine Special Forces, tree huggers, pet lovers, etc.). So, you could say that someone has already bought their ticket to the Star Trek convention, or always gets the extra pet insurance... boo-yah!
2. Thinking alike: Vulcan mind meld? Being in the same camp. Voting along party lines. Which side of the aisle someone is on (works for those familiar with American politics and the 2 party system).
3. Joining a group: Welcome to the club! Are you a card-carrying member? Mention training, orientation, induction, graduating, getting an official document/certificate/diploma. 

Obviously, there are many different frameworks to choose. Which one works best for the idea you'd like to get across? Circumstances and context should dictate going in one direction over another.

Brainstorm New Metaphors

Once you have deconstructed the base metaphor, you want to figure out which attributes to focus on. Obviously 900+ people dying a horrible death isn't Lou's goal. Nor is moving out of the country, or making headlines, or killing a congressman. His other reference is to "get religion". Hmmm, maybe  having an awareness that changes our point of view, or thinking alike as a group.  "Get religion" can be helpful, because it doesn't speak to any specific religion, but in the workplace, anything religious can be a touchy subject. (Hey, let's mention abortion, Ronald Reagan, or gay marriage instead!)

Having an awareness -- who has awarenesses? When? Do they come quickly (Homer Simpson's "DOH," or "Could 'a had a V8")? Do they evolve over time ("getting an education")? Is it the awareness itself ("seeing the light," "the lightbulb came on"), or is it the process?

Once you've done this brainstorming, there should be enough for you to construct the metaphor of your choice, using a basic framework, and then focusing on specific attributes that highlight the point you are trying to make. It must appeal to your audience and use references that are familiar to them.

Prologue:


FWIW, you can read more about whack-a-doodle Jim Jones and the horrible Purple Kool-aid incident on Wikipedia. Those of you who were born after this memorable event in 1978, probably don't remember a preacher by the name of Jim Jones who lead a church called The People's Temple in the San Francisco Bay Area. He ended up moving it to Guayana (South America) and eventually led almost all its followers to their untimely death. Most died due to ingesting poison that was mixed with purple kool-aid. Those who resisted were shot, including a congressman from California. 

Twitter Poetry

My brother loves poetry. So when a new kind of poetry comes onto the scene, he had to share it with me.

Twitter Poetry, thanks to @pentametron who mines twitter for iambic pentameter, then finds phrases that go together. It makes for a good read!

Here is an sample of the feed from 4/17/13:

@ZaynM_RP     And find a girl and tell her she's the one
@nataliebosiacki     This is the perfect weather for a run

@whatever_luh     Shall spend a minute looking at the sky
@Ralph87_     I am a really jealous person... why?
...
@MulhernFM     In Denver after many years away
@fruit_gums     I'm ready for another holiday

@MrCraigButler     I haven't owned a pencil case in years
@MeganSchoen4     I always eat in intro to careers...

@Yonis_R2I     Hope szczesny has a breakdown on the pitch.
@TaylorPebbles     You ruined everything. Conniving bitch.

@taylor_galek33     Home early for the Awkward. marathon
@Gabe_Saenz     Too many social networks going on!

@ynganid     @be_nimble morals #complicated_stuff
@devnnv     Sometime, potential isn't good enough

@elainelainee     I really wish the sky were clear tonight..
@ShitNajeeSays   This bringing us into a twitter fight.
...
@MohitPatel094  It's only Tuesday. Gotta power through.
@madeleinewhite7    It really is a million dollar view
...
@izzati_innania   Selena Gomez has a pretty face
@salbawa   Another day, Another paper chase!

Magazines taking over the world

Magazines. They've taken over my home. I get them for free, thanks to an abundance of credit card reward points. They come in the mail (except Bloomberg News, which is plopped in my driveway every week). Sometimes they come to me weekly, sometimes monthly. Sometimes every 2 months.

I get some for work, some for home, some because my hubby might like them (golf, travel, cooking). Others because I think they might be inspiring (Architectural Digest -- not!). My favorite magazine, National Wildlife, I get solely because they have a photo contest every year. It's amazing and I clip out pictures every January that reflect my mood at the time. The picture that tops the list: The yellow-bellied marmot sunning itself on a rock. I feel warm and relaxed every time I look at it. First runner up are the 2 crows who are goofing off by sliding down a snowy bank (no kidding), then getting up and doing it all over again. Like silly little children.

I learn something new every time I read a magazine article. Google is using it's mastery of big data to teach cars to drive themselves. You can take a pill to help you forget, thanks to the latest brain science. People want to teach online and give it away for free (shhhh, don't tell Stanford or Harvard). Creative people start interesting businesses. People misuse our natural resources and ruin our country.

So, what's my problem? I have no time to read. Not magazines, not anything. Reading opportunities appear when I travel. Then, I can sit in one place, relax, and take in the ideas of others.

For now, I'm too busy working, commuting, parenting, wifing, cleaning, organizing, talking on the phone with my parents, trying to relax, going places, seeing friends. Going, doing, talking, working. That's me. Not reading. When I'm tired, I enjoy watching fiction on tv. Maybe a reality show or two. But I don't want to learn about How Social Media Fuels Social Unrest (Wired, Jan 2012), or An Intimate Portrait of the World's Most Famous CEO (Fast Company, April 2012).  I'm not even concerned about Allergy-Friendly Pizza (Living Without, Feb/Mar 2012). I'd rather focus on whether or not the America's Got Talent singer is on key, what will happen next on The Closer, and where I can find the latest season of Mad Men online for free.

Spelling lists, hairy people and poverty

My son has weekly spelling words and must use them to make sentences in his 4th grade class. This recent homework assignment caught my attention. (Note: all spelling and punctuation is preserved from his original writing.)

1. My dad has gear to plant in the garden.
2. Usually Native Americans have spears to catch fish.
3. I like to write with a perfectly sharp pencil.
4. Link was really weary after he fought Ganondorf.
5. William cheered loudly when I won a baseball game.
6. In geometry they use squares alot.
7. Some people are really hairy.
8. Lots of friends have a golden heart.
9. Some movies have really weird endings.
10. Alot of countrys starve and I don't like it.

Passing it on at Overlap 11

Here is a video of me telling a story. Actually, it's me bragging about my kids. The setting is Overlap 11, a retreat for design professionals interested in using design skills in other settings, such as business, education, etc. Saturday night is Moth Night, when we each tell a 3-5 minute story. Mine was about how we can pass things on to our kids and how that results in them passing things on to us.

Pictures of the visuals I used will come later.

I AM

(Written by my youngest, who is 9)

I am an awesome boy that loves science
I wonder if I could fly
I hear factors saying learn me
I see science floating in my head
I want Ms. M to be my teacher forever
I am an awesome boy that loves science

I pretend I can fly through the sky
I feel the wind as I fly
I touch the air when I soar through the air
I worry about my grades
I cry when Ms. M is gone
I am an awesome boy that loves science

I understand nobody is perfect
I say everybody gets an A+
I dream I can fly
I try to be nice
I hope I will be famous
I am an awesome boy that loves science