Tag Archives: informationarchitecture

OZ-IA now 4 days of Information Architecture fun

Aug
22
2008

OZIA Pre Conference Dinner and Drinks

It’s on again, OZ-IA, the Sydney based Information Architecture conference, now in its third year (Sept 20-21st). Yet again I’ll be lobbing into Sydney for this event, and looking forward to catching up with all my IA and UX colleagues.  Over the last two years I have always met new people in the field or learn a fair few new things at this conference, from the formal sessions and corridor talk.

Now OZ-IA may seem like a lay back conference, I’ll tell you it isn’t, in some respects, some of the topics can be a little full on.  But that said the social aspect in previous years has been spontaneous yet entertaining.

Information is Design

Apr
5
2008

Fremantle Buildings Old and New

It’s a bit of an old question, which is important design or the information, why do we really need web design at all. Well Alex Graham highlights the issue in her continuation of her discussion from the Port80 meeting last week. Frankly I agree. We do need design. From my view coming from the fields of user interaction and information architecture design and information are one in the same.

“Hang on”, you say, “one is content and other is just presentation, they are separate.” Yes, I agree in that aspect they are. But the relationship between them is extremely close, to the point that from a different perspective they are same. Design is information, information is design.

Don’t Follow the other Guy

Mar
29
2008

Sheep!

How many times have you heard this: “Well the site / design / label / content has been done like this on this site, so it must be right, we’ll just copy that!”

We have all encountered it right? The premise that because someone has done it before us that is must be the correct path to take. This assumes a number of predetermine aspects:

  • The site in question has the exact same budget, market and audience.
  • There has been an extensive use of industry best practice and the application of user centred design principles on the site.