BUX Podcast 86: What is An Information Architect?

On the podcast this week Jenna and I answer the question, what is an Information Architect? Who are they? What do they do? And why are they necessary?

Meet an Information Architect

Abby the IA

Information Architect Abby Covert

If I had a favorite Information Architect, it would be Abby Covert, aka Abby the IA. She’s SOOOOO smart. (Seriously.) I’m always humbled when I read her blog.

She is teaching a course in Information Architecture at Parsons New School for Design. In this post, she talks about the choices she made during the teaching of the class, and it serves as a great intro into what Information Architecture is.

Along with Dan Klyn, she’s created the Information Architect manifesto. It states:

I intend to

make the unclear clear

put the what
before the how

facilitate understanding,
organize meaning,
create clarity and
establish truth

support goals, makers and users

because I believe

everything is complex

architecture frames
problems, design solves
them

understanding is
always good but it is
equally important to
not understand

clarity is a
prerequisite of truth

And yes, it says all that in that sort of poetic way, and I decided to leave it rather than edit it into one paragraph.

In this podcast we use Abby the IA to explore the world of Information Architects.

We’ll see you guys next Friday! Have a good weekend!

Please Note: Abby tweeted at us later to let us know that Dan’s last name isn’t pronounced “Kiln”, which is how I pronounced it on the podcast. It’s actually pronounced “Kline”. Apologies to Dan!

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