Today, I attended my third WIAD or World Information Architecture Day, established by IAI Information Architect Institute.  A couple of years ago, I acted as Project Manager for Los Angeles’ WIAD. So ai map to see that the torch has been carried and this event is back in the Los Angeles community. It’s a great opportunity to hear some of the industry’s well regarded IA experts, to meet other great people in the field, and hopefully to get fired up and inspired. What is WIAD? According to the website:

World Information Architecture Day 2016 is a one-day annual celebration of this phenomenon. Hosted in dozens of locations across the world by local organizers on February 20th, we focus on telling stories of information being architected by everyone from teachers to business owners; technologists to artists; designers to product managers.

With representation from all over the world, we believe that the power of similarity and the beauty of difference between stories will inspire those who work in information architecture, as well as those who may be new to it. We aim to teach, share, and have fun — all through the lens of Information Architecture (IA).

I would like to share some of my notes and highlights from today’s fabulous event.

• If you’ve ever wondered where you are on a website, than that is an issue of IA.
• An aspect of “play studio” is to pick a behavior and design for it.
• Shift from a designer to a facilitator.
• Research is becoming more collaborative.
• Design work is not precious. So it’s good to work on low fidelity objects to keep that true.
• Design work is not about ornamentation, it is about implmentation.
• Think about creative solutions rather than what requirements are supposed to be delivered.
• Designers need to be more collaborative and not worry about people (who are not designers) stepping on their toes and entering their “craft.”
• Put the work out early to get user feedback, knowing it is an iterative process.
• Try creating ad hoc personas when you don’ have time to create full-fledged personas.
• Know your audience. This is so often forgotten. Keep in mind what your user’s current needs and behaviors are. Don’t lose site of who you are designing for.
• Know when it is appropriate to work with an established design pattern and not reinvent the wheel.
• Take the information you have gathered in research and shake things up when you need something different.

  

• Some corporations appreciate hiring people who will rock the boat and provide a diverse outlook to the company. Get hired to make a change in the corporate structure as well as the product that you will build.
• Some companies will avoid innovation because of risk. This leads to fast following.
• Tell the story | Develop the culture | Be the voice of the customer.
• Innovation requires atriculation.
• When you work on a design solution, what will people think, feel, do and become?
• UX designers have great skills like: inter-discipline, like people, empathy and listen to others.
• Think like a founder, not a designer.
• Designers inherit problems, founders define them.
• Design THE business, not for it.
• Do you expect the world to anticipate your needs? Because you should.
• The problem you have been given is not the right problem. Discover the right problem.
• Every designer should have some skill in leadership.
• What motivates a designer is a frustration with the world and a desire to improve it.
• As a designer, you see something better.
• Consider delivery mechanisms that extend your core experience.
• Leverage what people love, address what they don’t.

Complexity is not the problem
Ambiguity is
Simplicity does not solve ambiguity
Clarity does