On Mar 31, 2009, at 9:51 AM, Dan Saffer wrote:
Actually, I think it's pretty accurate. Here's the definition of
information architecture from the polar bear book (the bible of IA):
1. The combination of organization, labeling, and navigation
schemes within an information system.
2. The structural design of an information space to facilitate
task completion and intuitive access to content.
3. The art and science of structuring and classifying web sites
and intranets to help people find and manage information.
Nowhere in that definition is IA restricted to content. And if we want
to play that argument, then one could easily argue that just about
everything is content. A button label is content. Information on a
deck of cards is content. The navigation elements themselves are
content. Finding something non-content is a stretch. Possible, sure.
But a stretch. And why are we debating over stretches of the
imagination and edge cases?
It's limiting because, frankly, IA is limited in its application to
mostly content-rich applications. If you don't have an information
space to navigate through, you don't have much information
architecture. And information spaces are typically made up of content.
Only typically, because that's where we were in the past. There was a
time when the web didn't exist. IA can evolve.
I believe it is a combination of IA (the labels and categorization)
and IxD (the controls to move).
Completely agree. That's what I've been saying. IA provides the
underlying structure, while IxD is the behavior of the system and/or
how the person interacts with the system. I don't think we see this
any different.
Here we disagree. They laying out of controls to manipulate or
engage with the system is the task of an interaction designer, with
input and adjustment from visual and industrial designers. Pushing a
button to trigger a behavior has nothing to do with IA. Labeling the
button perhaps I'll give you, but even that is a stretch.
But according to the definition of IA that you're using, cited above,
the layout of controls to manipulate the system is IA, maybe it's done
by an interaction designer or whatever the person wants to be called,
but it's IA according to the very definition that you cite above.
Obviously, we agree that the pushing of a button to trigger the
behavior has nothing or little to do w/IA. But, Dan, seriously, the
labeling is a stretch? Come on. Even the definition you cite above
states that labeling is IA.
What are we really debating here?
Cheers!
Todd Zaki Warfel
Principal Design Researcher
Messagefirst | Designing Information. Beautifully.
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Voice: (215) 825-7423
Email: t...@messagefirst.com
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In practice, they are not.
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