ENG3790 D700 | Prof. Ellis | "Remember to put your squirrels in The Squirrel Room!"
Week 4: Lecture
Beginning of Class Writing
Click on the heading of this blog post title above–“Week 4: Lecture,” scroll down to the comment area, and write at least 250 words in response to this week’s readings. You can summarize the readings, you can relate the readings to your own experience or something else you have read or learned about, etc. Any writing of 250 words or more that are related to the readings are fair game for this weekly assignment at the beginning of class.
Post your comment after 20 minutes even if you don’t reach the 250 word minimum threshold.
Why we are doing this: It helps you organize your thoughts before discussion and it gives you regular writing practice.
Discuss this week’s readings.
Talk about site maps for websites and this week’s homework assignment.
Review homework and readings for next week.
11 thoughts on “Week 4: Lecture”
Thinking about IA from a computer science perspective this week was interesting given that I was also preparing for an exam in my programming class. The class is focused on Android development, specifically in Java, which is an object-oriented language. Thus, everything is organized by defining objects. When programming, say, a button, everything the button is and does has to be coded (or at least referenced) in the code for that button, including where it is on the screen, usually in relation to other objects. It’s a very different way of organizing code than one does in HTML, both of which are different from SQL, which is again different from Python, and so on.
This is why I often get frustrated when encountering situations in real life like the one described in A Brief History of Information Architecture. Computer programmers will often approach informational systems in the same way they’re used to approaching programming problems. Even more interesting is how I’ll see programmers use templates, instructions, or procedures for creating informational documents as if those instructions are objective steps to follow, the same way programmers can copy and paste segments or code or empty frameworks that are proven effective. (Meanwhile, when I work with artists, I run into the opposite problem, where they treat their documentation like a work of art that has to fit their artistic vision.)
The point, as accurately discussed both in this week’s and prior readings, is that while the concept of IA as its own field developed in parallel with information technology, good information architecture is an entirely different pursuit and needs to be considered irrespective of its technological background. Technology is a tool that should work for the construction of the architecture and not define it; after all, it’s the pursuit of something needed that we cannot build that pushes us to create new tools and invent new designs.
In Dillon’s article, I learned that in the last two years, Information Architecture has grown, and become the source of interest for many people. There has been an influx in professions as Information Architects. IA has the potential to unify professionals with it’s range of designing and evaluation information. This article describes Information Architecture to be a craft that has different characteristics. The term that Dillon mentions in the article is that IA centers around the design and creation of useful information. When it comes down to Information Architecture, information is key.
In Heilesen’s article, I was informed about the history of the web. Throughout time, the internet has become very important to distribute, exchange, and to find information. As of today, the World Wide Web is the #1 service on the internet. The consumers who search for information online are called “users.” We are all users in today’s society. We use our technologies every day to find information. We use our technologies almost 24/7. Users are known as the target group for Information Architects.
In Resmin and Rosati’s article, they explain how Information Architecture is a craft that relies on guidelines and experience. I learned that Information Architecture is not only about computers and software. IA is about the people/designers behind it. Information Architecture is a very unique way and design of thinking. The Information Architects behind the informative database has the job to make finding the information you need simpler and quicker for its daily consumers.
This week’s ready provided some insight and with some things to think about especially with the history of web designing and websites. With how web-designing was in the past and what it is today, I’m sure there a scale of changes and differences that are for seen. That there are many different changes and steps that have to be planned and coordinated before web-designing and planning. But the main question that I have is how does information architecture play into all of this? I know that information architects are the people whether it be computer scientist, graphic designers, and technical writers and editors. But how do each one of these different disciplines collaborate with each other and make sure that they’ve got the web planning and designing right, concise, and clear?
I’ve never been one to mess with technological advanced features, properties, and components of a technology because I’m afraid that I’ll mess it up or cause some kind of malfunction. But I can see that between web-designing, planning, and information architecture that they are still some questions and debatable agreements about what information architecture is. That instead of calling them information architects, they should be called architects of information. That there is a need for bringing about a new profession that seems to be doing the same thing as the other titles are. I feel like they are one in the same because the job of an information architect is to spread information. They are using what they know to create and vastly spread information through the mediums of websites and online blogs.
The article, “Information architecture in JASIST: Just where did we come from?” encapsulates what Information Architecture is currently and the issues encompassing it. The first issue is “Defining Information Architecture” which discusses the craft status of IA to be fixed. The second issue is “Information Architecture or Architects of Information?” in terms of the process and role. Using Cohills argument, there needs to be a new professional who can combine technical knowledge and is able to understand/communicate with people. The third issue is “Big IA – Little IA” in terms of the division amongst the two. Little IA is more manageable but the writer believes it is not sufficient enough to call architecture. Big IA is more of an accurate term that designs information spaces. Issue 4 is in regards to “IAs and/or UE?” and how user experience versus addressing and evaluating are different. The last issue discussed was “Experience or Qualification” and it is seemingly the most important one mentioned in my opinion. Essentially what qualifies someone to be an information architect? It concludes, with the direction Information Architecture is heading in. There are different ideas and perspectives that formulate information studies disciples. I learned about how the advancement of Information Architecture is construed into a conception of evolution. As we change and morph into the next phases so does the technology and what we use on a daily basis. From time to time we have to advance our tech to meet the progression of society and new programs.
Chapter 6, “A Short History of Designing for Communication on the Web” overview Web Design’s importance in communication and its influence on computer interface design. The purpose of creating Web materials is important to the design. HTML used to be a plain text editor, now as the web gained popularity text based and graphical HTML editors started appearing. “Web design became an industry in the late 1990s. In the 1980s it went against everyone knowing how to write computer programs. The internet is accessed through handheld devices so the small screen formats require the page layout adaption. This PTW major substantiates that you progress with society and learn about it simultaneously. In order to do so, you must first learn the new advancements and follow along on the rapidly changing path. New advancements are a frequent occurrence and to understand what the users want through changing/tending times it is essential to make sure you are treading along.
In the article entitled, “A Brief History of Architecture” It discusses IA as studies focused on solving problems of accessing and using for the amounts of information today. It described staying connected while on the move in terms of the role for information architecture proves to be a huge design challenge. I agree, overtime we adapt and overcome continuously. As we progress we also need media, and what we use to also change. HTML has changed but that is just one mere example, there are infinite applications and usages/functionalities that can be sought out. It takes rapid adaptation and critical thinking to keep up; however, I have learned that the basics typically never change.
With high-speed internet came opportunities for the future and web designers were creating easy communication between site owners and users. Usability became at the forefront of the internet and a balance ensued for web design. Web designers could only do so much with user interface; thus, the main concern was the content being provided. Organizations are in control of the internet. Although computer science and engineers helped in the construction of the internet, it also involved many disciplines. Market forces have a large stake on the internet since it helps them make money through consumers. These online consumers are known as “users” and are targeted by being guided through the interface of these websites that are designed to control them in a certain way. The internet soared with new tools being created and new languages to help facilitate websites. These languages added reasoning and elasticity to the internet. A struggle to make rules and guidelines for the web was born but not fully recognized by anyone.
Information architecture is new and rapidly growing. Individuals are taking steps to refine their own practice and craft of information architecture. Disciplines in information architecture cannot agree altogether on the direction of the craft. With information architecture comes many dissimilar categories to work with, it is not just one job. Getting a degree in information architecture is not available everywhere because it is not fully recognized by all. Nevertheless, it has been becoming important to the masses and building momentum since 2001. Anyone who spends a decent amount of time on the internet should get involved in the future of information architecture. Information architecture is branched out with each discipline having their own definition and use for it. Information architecture is widely used on the World Wide Web which became used to design web sites. A new stage was revealed for information architecture which is recognized today as gathering, organizing, and presenting information. As we know it, our lives are being restructured because we are consumed by the persistent interface of information architecture.
In, Information architecture in JASIST: Just where did we come from? Andrew Dillon outlines the Big Six issues that have dominated discussions among IA’s since he attended an IA summit in Boston. The first issue dominating discussion among IA’s is defining Information Architecture. I find it interesting how IA’s themselves cannot come up with a universal definition of information architecture. Dillion adapts a broad definition to avoid excluded people who bring great ideas to the field. The second issue is determining whether there is a need for a professional, the information architecture. The division between little IA and big IA is the third issue. The fourth issue is about user experience and how user experience should be addressed within the IA profession. The fifth issue is about the field of IA and whether it only exists on the web. The sixth and final issue dominating discussion among IA’s is the qualifications to become an information architect.
In A Brief History of Information Architecture, Resmini and Rosati briefly discuss the history of Information Architecture as a practice, and analyze the three strands of tradition underlying Information Architecture: information design, information systems, and information science. They argue that information architecture is not a science, but industrial science which is applied art. Based on the article, it seems that information architects have a strong influence on how readers and how they perceive information. They organized and present information in a particular way.
A Short History of Designing for Communication on the Web, examines the development of web design. The history of Web design is outlined in terms of the complex interplay of various social, economic, cultural, technological, and communicative factors. Development of web design and the requirement of users is also discussed in the chapter.
I like Andrew Dillon’s definition of IA. He calls it a term used to describe the process of designing, implementing, and evaluating information spaces that are humanly acceptable to their intended users. He also issues a call for users to get involved in defining the role. IA has the potential to unify the disparate perspectives and orientations of professionals from a range of professionals. It takes a village to raise an Information Architect.
A dozen years before Richard Saul Wurman used the term IA in 1976 it was used in 1964 in an IBM research paper. It shifted from tangibles; disks, wires and hubs to an abstraction for structure and behavior. In 1970 at Xerox (PARC) it blossomed and was called the “architecture of information”. In 1998, louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville’s book “Information Architecture and the World Wide Webb” made IA mainstream. Wurman’s definition was buttressed with the following:
-the organization of patterns in data
-creator of the map of information
-the professional occupation focused on clarity, understanding by humans, and the science of understanding.
The role of the Information Architect include the WHY, WHAT, & HOW.
The WWW is an all-dominant service of the internet. For the Internet CONTENT is what counts. The “users” of the internet are a diverse group in character and content. The way we use it determines it’s development.
For our reading assignments, we had to read three different texts. In the first one, Information Architecture in JASIST by Andrew Dillion, he touches upon several topics. Firstly, he discusses how he went from going to a summit supported by the ASIS&T with low expectations to feeling refreshed and noticing lots of enthusiasm from others about IA in the following years. He then talks about six different issues. The first was defining IA, which he had a working definition of “IA is the term used to describe the process of designing, implementing and evaluating information spaces that are humanly and socially acceptable to their intended stakeholders.” He also mentions that IA is a craft. Then, he poses the question of IA or Architects of Information. After that, he raises the question of Big IA v. Little IA. He breaks it down as big IA is to overall design plan as little IA is to metadata fields or controlled vocabulary. He then goes on to mention thoughts about “IAs and/or UE?” and “If It Ain’t Web It Ain’t IA?” From there he goes on to discuss experience or qualifications. He surmises that there are many thinkers in IA and that we must think on different issues and understand different perspectives on IA.
A Short History of Designing for Communication on the Web by S. Heilesen gives us an overview of the history of web design, and some thoughts on the future of the discipline. Web design is a “vague term referring to a complex subject that has evolved over time. It covers the layout, content, and behaviours of individual Web pages as well as the information architecture of entire Web sites.” The text touches on subjects of technology, organizations, market forces, theoretical backgournds, producers, purpose and consumers. It mentions that web design and the world wide web is highly dynamic. The development of web design included hypertext, handling information, and HCI, among other things. The universal web involved commercialization and privatization. It focused on content, form, and behavior. Web pages developed into cybergenres and the importance of planning and analyzing sites became prominent. The future of web design encompassed things such as high quality commercial design, communication, hardware and software, and the importance of content.
A Brief History of IA by Resmini & Rosati says that “Information architecture (IA) is a professional practice and field of studies focused on solving the basic problems of accessing, and using, the vast amounts of information available today.” The text gave us the history of the development of IA, from Wurman to the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. It went on to discuss matters of information design, information systems (which focused on how to solve problems within larger business visions), to the different types of user interfaces and interactions within IA. They also discusses information science, which involves the dynamic environment of the world wide web, and the development of pervasive and ubiquitous IA.
When talking about the history of the World Wide Web(WWW), specifically with web design a lot of the information was difficult for me to process because it is not something that I have really researched but after reading the journal by Simon B. Heilesen, I began to understand the overall message of the article. Web design is used for every aspect of the internet that we use today. When it comes to the creation of the WWW, there were many components that needed to go into that process. When I think of web designing today, I understand some parts of it such as text and block editor, interface, and systems used to create such as JAVA. Thinking about where the internet is today with new media, it is so much more advanced than those who came before us could have imagined. With web design, information architecture is used throughout this process because you need to have organization and guidelines for how you are going to approach a project of that capacity. I believe there is information architecture in everything we do concerning the internet. With new media, there may not be as much organizing that we have to do ourselves when it comes to operating the internet and other applications.
I have used OpenLab, a fully developed website to create a site for another field and that took a lot of learning in order to succeed in creating something new. I have also used sites such as Wix to create my own website for deliverables and I would say that was more tedious. The thing both OpenLab and Wix have in common is, it took a lot of planning and organizing to even create a website to hold the amount of information they do, figuring out where to place what. This is what I believe Information architecture to be.
The article “Information Architecture in JASIST: Just Where Did We Come From,” by Andrew Dillion, talks about the origins of informational architecture (IA) and how it came to be a discipline. It describes the definition of information architecture and the different layers of the type of work. In the article, it also discusses the craft skill that is needed in information architecture, however, that it should not be seen simply as graphic designing. There is a discussion about the issues with defining information architecture and that the focus hasn’t been on the entirety of what the work consists of, but more so that the focus is on what information architecture is not. Dillion also mentions the debates within the IA community such as the debate on separation of IA and usability professionals. I found this article to be interesting because it provided me some clarity on the issues that are within the IA community, there seems to be confusion on what IA is exactly or its place among other disciplines. Though there are definitions out there that sums up the type of work done in information architecture, it doesn’t rid of the fact that there are some who are confused about what is to be expected in this field
The concept of IA emerged in the information systems world in the 1970s when Richard Saul Wurman used the term “architecture of information.” However, it was only in the last two years before this article was written that IA became a source of sufficient interest for people to label themselves professionally as Information Architects.
I particularly enjoyed when Nathaniel Davis states, “tsunami of data,” we as technical writers and information architects need to plan for the “flood.” Davis’ single and multi-domain IA strategies were a little hard to grasp. However, I enjoyed his use of the tsunami metaphor to tackle this issue.
From the articles, I learned that information architecture is a practice focused on solving the problems of accessing and using large amounts of information. It involves the design of information structures, wireframes, and labels, mainly for websites (but can be used in outside of the web).
From the mid-1980s, information architecture went through a dormant period, during which it was viewed more as a tool for designing computer infrastructures and data layers. However, many of the designs associated with information architecture today, such as blueprints and guidelines, were developed during this time. In the late 1990s, Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville’s book “Information Architecture for the World Wide Web” popularized the field and incorporated the earlier phases of information design and system design into the modern mainstream idea of information architecture.
Thinking about IA from a computer science perspective this week was interesting given that I was also preparing for an exam in my programming class. The class is focused on Android development, specifically in Java, which is an object-oriented language. Thus, everything is organized by defining objects. When programming, say, a button, everything the button is and does has to be coded (or at least referenced) in the code for that button, including where it is on the screen, usually in relation to other objects. It’s a very different way of organizing code than one does in HTML, both of which are different from SQL, which is again different from Python, and so on.
This is why I often get frustrated when encountering situations in real life like the one described in A Brief History of Information Architecture. Computer programmers will often approach informational systems in the same way they’re used to approaching programming problems. Even more interesting is how I’ll see programmers use templates, instructions, or procedures for creating informational documents as if those instructions are objective steps to follow, the same way programmers can copy and paste segments or code or empty frameworks that are proven effective. (Meanwhile, when I work with artists, I run into the opposite problem, where they treat their documentation like a work of art that has to fit their artistic vision.)
The point, as accurately discussed both in this week’s and prior readings, is that while the concept of IA as its own field developed in parallel with information technology, good information architecture is an entirely different pursuit and needs to be considered irrespective of its technological background. Technology is a tool that should work for the construction of the architecture and not define it; after all, it’s the pursuit of something needed that we cannot build that pushes us to create new tools and invent new designs.
In Dillon’s article, I learned that in the last two years, Information Architecture has grown, and become the source of interest for many people. There has been an influx in professions as Information Architects. IA has the potential to unify professionals with it’s range of designing and evaluation information. This article describes Information Architecture to be a craft that has different characteristics. The term that Dillon mentions in the article is that IA centers around the design and creation of useful information. When it comes down to Information Architecture, information is key.
In Heilesen’s article, I was informed about the history of the web. Throughout time, the internet has become very important to distribute, exchange, and to find information. As of today, the World Wide Web is the #1 service on the internet. The consumers who search for information online are called “users.” We are all users in today’s society. We use our technologies every day to find information. We use our technologies almost 24/7. Users are known as the target group for Information Architects.
In Resmin and Rosati’s article, they explain how Information Architecture is a craft that relies on guidelines and experience. I learned that Information Architecture is not only about computers and software. IA is about the people/designers behind it. Information Architecture is a very unique way and design of thinking. The Information Architects behind the informative database has the job to make finding the information you need simpler and quicker for its daily consumers.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Tiana Beatty
Date: February 27, 2023
Subject: Weekly Readings
This week’s ready provided some insight and with some things to think about especially with the history of web designing and websites. With how web-designing was in the past and what it is today, I’m sure there a scale of changes and differences that are for seen. That there are many different changes and steps that have to be planned and coordinated before web-designing and planning. But the main question that I have is how does information architecture play into all of this? I know that information architects are the people whether it be computer scientist, graphic designers, and technical writers and editors. But how do each one of these different disciplines collaborate with each other and make sure that they’ve got the web planning and designing right, concise, and clear?
I’ve never been one to mess with technological advanced features, properties, and components of a technology because I’m afraid that I’ll mess it up or cause some kind of malfunction. But I can see that between web-designing, planning, and information architecture that they are still some questions and debatable agreements about what information architecture is. That instead of calling them information architects, they should be called architects of information. That there is a need for bringing about a new profession that seems to be doing the same thing as the other titles are. I feel like they are one in the same because the job of an information architect is to spread information. They are using what they know to create and vastly spread information through the mediums of websites and online blogs.
The article, “Information architecture in JASIST: Just where did we come from?” encapsulates what Information Architecture is currently and the issues encompassing it. The first issue is “Defining Information Architecture” which discusses the craft status of IA to be fixed. The second issue is “Information Architecture or Architects of Information?” in terms of the process and role. Using Cohills argument, there needs to be a new professional who can combine technical knowledge and is able to understand/communicate with people. The third issue is “Big IA – Little IA” in terms of the division amongst the two. Little IA is more manageable but the writer believes it is not sufficient enough to call architecture. Big IA is more of an accurate term that designs information spaces. Issue 4 is in regards to “IAs and/or UE?” and how user experience versus addressing and evaluating are different. The last issue discussed was “Experience or Qualification” and it is seemingly the most important one mentioned in my opinion. Essentially what qualifies someone to be an information architect? It concludes, with the direction Information Architecture is heading in. There are different ideas and perspectives that formulate information studies disciples. I learned about how the advancement of Information Architecture is construed into a conception of evolution. As we change and morph into the next phases so does the technology and what we use on a daily basis. From time to time we have to advance our tech to meet the progression of society and new programs.
Chapter 6, “A Short History of Designing for Communication on the Web” overview Web Design’s importance in communication and its influence on computer interface design. The purpose of creating Web materials is important to the design. HTML used to be a plain text editor, now as the web gained popularity text based and graphical HTML editors started appearing. “Web design became an industry in the late 1990s. In the 1980s it went against everyone knowing how to write computer programs. The internet is accessed through handheld devices so the small screen formats require the page layout adaption. This PTW major substantiates that you progress with society and learn about it simultaneously. In order to do so, you must first learn the new advancements and follow along on the rapidly changing path. New advancements are a frequent occurrence and to understand what the users want through changing/tending times it is essential to make sure you are treading along.
In the article entitled, “A Brief History of Architecture” It discusses IA as studies focused on solving problems of accessing and using for the amounts of information today. It described staying connected while on the move in terms of the role for information architecture proves to be a huge design challenge. I agree, overtime we adapt and overcome continuously. As we progress we also need media, and what we use to also change. HTML has changed but that is just one mere example, there are infinite applications and usages/functionalities that can be sought out. It takes rapid adaptation and critical thinking to keep up; however, I have learned that the basics typically never change.
TO: Professor Ellis
FROM: Khaled Akam
DATE: February 27, 2023
SUBJECT: Web Design
With high-speed internet came opportunities for the future and web designers were creating easy communication between site owners and users. Usability became at the forefront of the internet and a balance ensued for web design. Web designers could only do so much with user interface; thus, the main concern was the content being provided. Organizations are in control of the internet. Although computer science and engineers helped in the construction of the internet, it also involved many disciplines. Market forces have a large stake on the internet since it helps them make money through consumers. These online consumers are known as “users” and are targeted by being guided through the interface of these websites that are designed to control them in a certain way. The internet soared with new tools being created and new languages to help facilitate websites. These languages added reasoning and elasticity to the internet. A struggle to make rules and guidelines for the web was born but not fully recognized by anyone.
Information architecture is new and rapidly growing. Individuals are taking steps to refine their own practice and craft of information architecture. Disciplines in information architecture cannot agree altogether on the direction of the craft. With information architecture comes many dissimilar categories to work with, it is not just one job. Getting a degree in information architecture is not available everywhere because it is not fully recognized by all. Nevertheless, it has been becoming important to the masses and building momentum since 2001. Anyone who spends a decent amount of time on the internet should get involved in the future of information architecture. Information architecture is branched out with each discipline having their own definition and use for it. Information architecture is widely used on the World Wide Web which became used to design web sites. A new stage was revealed for information architecture which is recognized today as gathering, organizing, and presenting information. As we know it, our lives are being restructured because we are consumed by the persistent interface of information architecture.
In, Information architecture in JASIST: Just where did we come from? Andrew Dillon outlines the Big Six issues that have dominated discussions among IA’s since he attended an IA summit in Boston. The first issue dominating discussion among IA’s is defining Information Architecture. I find it interesting how IA’s themselves cannot come up with a universal definition of information architecture. Dillion adapts a broad definition to avoid excluded people who bring great ideas to the field. The second issue is determining whether there is a need for a professional, the information architecture. The division between little IA and big IA is the third issue. The fourth issue is about user experience and how user experience should be addressed within the IA profession. The fifth issue is about the field of IA and whether it only exists on the web. The sixth and final issue dominating discussion among IA’s is the qualifications to become an information architect.
In A Brief History of Information Architecture, Resmini and Rosati briefly discuss the history of Information Architecture as a practice, and analyze the three strands of tradition underlying Information Architecture: information design, information systems, and information science. They argue that information architecture is not a science, but industrial science which is applied art. Based on the article, it seems that information architects have a strong influence on how readers and how they perceive information. They organized and present information in a particular way.
A Short History of Designing for Communication on the Web, examines the development of web design. The history of Web design is outlined in terms of the complex interplay of various social, economic, cultural, technological, and communicative factors. Development of web design and the requirement of users is also discussed in the chapter.
I like Andrew Dillon’s definition of IA. He calls it a term used to describe the process of designing, implementing, and evaluating information spaces that are humanly acceptable to their intended users. He also issues a call for users to get involved in defining the role. IA has the potential to unify the disparate perspectives and orientations of professionals from a range of professionals. It takes a village to raise an Information Architect.
A dozen years before Richard Saul Wurman used the term IA in 1976 it was used in 1964 in an IBM research paper. It shifted from tangibles; disks, wires and hubs to an abstraction for structure and behavior. In 1970 at Xerox (PARC) it blossomed and was called the “architecture of information”. In 1998, louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville’s book “Information Architecture and the World Wide Webb” made IA mainstream. Wurman’s definition was buttressed with the following:
-the organization of patterns in data
-creator of the map of information
-the professional occupation focused on clarity, understanding by humans, and the science of understanding.
The role of the Information Architect include the WHY, WHAT, & HOW.
The WWW is an all-dominant service of the internet. For the Internet CONTENT is what counts. The “users” of the internet are a diverse group in character and content. The way we use it determines it’s development.
TO: Prof. Ellis
FROM: Khemraj Persaud
DATE: 2/27/23
SUBJECT: Reading Response
For our reading assignments, we had to read three different texts. In the first one, Information Architecture in JASIST by Andrew Dillion, he touches upon several topics. Firstly, he discusses how he went from going to a summit supported by the ASIS&T with low expectations to feeling refreshed and noticing lots of enthusiasm from others about IA in the following years. He then talks about six different issues. The first was defining IA, which he had a working definition of “IA is the term used to describe the process of designing, implementing and evaluating information spaces that are humanly and socially acceptable to their intended stakeholders.” He also mentions that IA is a craft. Then, he poses the question of IA or Architects of Information. After that, he raises the question of Big IA v. Little IA. He breaks it down as big IA is to overall design plan as little IA is to metadata fields or controlled vocabulary. He then goes on to mention thoughts about “IAs and/or UE?” and “If It Ain’t Web It Ain’t IA?” From there he goes on to discuss experience or qualifications. He surmises that there are many thinkers in IA and that we must think on different issues and understand different perspectives on IA.
A Short History of Designing for Communication on the Web by S. Heilesen gives us an overview of the history of web design, and some thoughts on the future of the discipline. Web design is a “vague term referring to a complex subject that has evolved over time. It covers the layout, content, and behaviours of individual Web pages as well as the information architecture of entire Web sites.” The text touches on subjects of technology, organizations, market forces, theoretical backgournds, producers, purpose and consumers. It mentions that web design and the world wide web is highly dynamic. The development of web design included hypertext, handling information, and HCI, among other things. The universal web involved commercialization and privatization. It focused on content, form, and behavior. Web pages developed into cybergenres and the importance of planning and analyzing sites became prominent. The future of web design encompassed things such as high quality commercial design, communication, hardware and software, and the importance of content.
A Brief History of IA by Resmini & Rosati says that “Information architecture (IA) is a professional practice and field of studies focused on solving the basic problems of accessing, and using, the vast amounts of information available today.” The text gave us the history of the development of IA, from Wurman to the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. It went on to discuss matters of information design, information systems (which focused on how to solve problems within larger business visions), to the different types of user interfaces and interactions within IA. They also discusses information science, which involves the dynamic environment of the world wide web, and the development of pervasive and ubiquitous IA.
To: Prof. Ellis
From: Bria Glenn
Subject: Week 4
Date: Feb 27, 2023
When talking about the history of the World Wide Web(WWW), specifically with web design a lot of the information was difficult for me to process because it is not something that I have really researched but after reading the journal by Simon B. Heilesen, I began to understand the overall message of the article. Web design is used for every aspect of the internet that we use today. When it comes to the creation of the WWW, there were many components that needed to go into that process. When I think of web designing today, I understand some parts of it such as text and block editor, interface, and systems used to create such as JAVA. Thinking about where the internet is today with new media, it is so much more advanced than those who came before us could have imagined. With web design, information architecture is used throughout this process because you need to have organization and guidelines for how you are going to approach a project of that capacity. I believe there is information architecture in everything we do concerning the internet. With new media, there may not be as much organizing that we have to do ourselves when it comes to operating the internet and other applications.
I have used OpenLab, a fully developed website to create a site for another field and that took a lot of learning in order to succeed in creating something new. I have also used sites such as Wix to create my own website for deliverables and I would say that was more tedious. The thing both OpenLab and Wix have in common is, it took a lot of planning and organizing to even create a website to hold the amount of information they do, figuring out where to place what. This is what I believe Information architecture to be.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Sandy Fougeres
Date: 2/27/23
Subject: Weekly Readings
The article “Information Architecture in JASIST: Just Where Did We Come From,” by Andrew Dillion, talks about the origins of informational architecture (IA) and how it came to be a discipline. It describes the definition of information architecture and the different layers of the type of work. In the article, it also discusses the craft skill that is needed in information architecture, however, that it should not be seen simply as graphic designing. There is a discussion about the issues with defining information architecture and that the focus hasn’t been on the entirety of what the work consists of, but more so that the focus is on what information architecture is not. Dillion also mentions the debates within the IA community such as the debate on separation of IA and usability professionals. I found this article to be interesting because it provided me some clarity on the issues that are within the IA community, there seems to be confusion on what IA is exactly or its place among other disciplines. Though there are definitions out there that sums up the type of work done in information architecture, it doesn’t rid of the fact that there are some who are confused about what is to be expected in this field
TO: Prof. Ellis
FROM: Naila Butt
DATE: 1 MAY 2023
SUBJECT: Tsunami of Data
Hello Professor!
I hope all is well.
The concept of IA emerged in the information systems world in the 1970s when Richard Saul Wurman used the term “architecture of information.” However, it was only in the last two years before this article was written that IA became a source of sufficient interest for people to label themselves professionally as Information Architects.
I particularly enjoyed when Nathaniel Davis states, “tsunami of data,” we as technical writers and information architects need to plan for the “flood.” Davis’ single and multi-domain IA strategies were a little hard to grasp. However, I enjoyed his use of the tsunami metaphor to tackle this issue.
From the articles, I learned that information architecture is a practice focused on solving the problems of accessing and using large amounts of information. It involves the design of information structures, wireframes, and labels, mainly for websites (but can be used in outside of the web).
From the mid-1980s, information architecture went through a dormant period, during which it was viewed more as a tool for designing computer infrastructures and data layers. However, many of the designs associated with information architecture today, such as blueprints and guidelines, were developed during this time. In the late 1990s, Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville’s book “Information Architecture for the World Wide Web” popularized the field and incorporated the earlier phases of information design and system design into the modern mainstream idea of information architecture.