To “explain IA”, this afternoon I had my 5-year-old son draw me a picture of what he thought IA was and what it is I do for a living. Thought everyone would enjoy his take on explaining IA. Here’s the complete drawing: Click on the photo for a larger version Here’s what you’ll see on […]
This is a re-post of my article The fine art of listening that was posted on the nForm blog December 22, 2009. As UX practitioners we help create things that are better, more usable, better organized, easier to engage with, help sell more stuff or reduce costs (a non-exhaustive list). Many of our methodologies and […]
Great advice from Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford University: When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I […]
UPDATE January 1, 2010: thanks everyone for contributing. Together we raised $2591 for UNICEF. I’m a big fan of Unicef and the work that they do around the world. Every year they are one of the charities that our family donates to. Normally we try to do something that can really have an impact, like […]
Another CanUX conference has wrapped up. This annual gathering of UX professionals (mostly Canadian) is a great opportunity to connect with one another, share knowledge, ideas and approaches. I love attending and can’t imagine a year without it. This was the last year for the conference in Banff, coming years will see it move around […]
On October 28 I wrapped up my work as Director of Information Architecture at Critical Mass. I really enjoyed the role, especially getting back to managing people and work (something I’m told I’m good at). Over my five months at CM I tripled the size of our team; addressed a number of issues within the practice; […]
I few weeks ago I sat on a panel at Mount Royal College University here in Calgary. The panel was for new students to the Faculty of Communications which encompasses the Broadcasting, Journalism, Public Relations and Information Design programs. I had a great time, but was struck by the number of students who had parents […]
This is part 2 in a short series I’m doing on finding an IA job. Read part one of finding an IA job: practice. Networking is critical and especially important since many jobs in our field are filled not via traditional job postings, but rather through word-of-mouth. Who you know matters and is a big factor […]
This is the first in a multi-part series I’m doing about finding an information architecture (IA) job. Hope you enjoy. One of the challenges for people trying to become and IA is how to gain experience so they can find employment and build their skills. It’s the classic “chicken and egg” story — you need […]
I had a discussion today with a colleague about the traits that make a great IA. Here’s the list I came up with: 1. You are personable You’re friendly, outgoing, willing to talk with and connect with others. You are someone people like to work with (and if you’re lucky) someone a few even aspire […]