Information architecture resources
This page collects all my published work related to information architecture and user experience.
This conceptual model of the considerations involved in designing successful user experiences for Web sites is the foundation for all my subsequent work in this field. It was published as a PDF diagram in 2000 and an acclaimed book in 2002.
This model documents the competencies a team must incorporate to successfully deliver Web products, based on my observation and experience. You can download it as a PDF diagram or read the companion article published in 2003.
This system for diagramming information architecture and interaction design solutions has been widely adopted since I first released it in 2000. Here you can find a detailed tutorial on how to use the system as well as downloadable shape libraries for numerous drawing applications.
This is the company I co-founded in 2001 to help advance the field of user experience. We provide consulting services; perform in-house training; host public workshops and events; and publish reports as well as free essays on user experience issues. The free email newsletter is the best way to keep up with everything we've got going on.
Public Appearances and Writings
Articles
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ia/recon is a six-part essay on the state of the information architecture profession and community. If anything, I believe in these ideas even more strongly now than I did when the piece was first published in early 2002.
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Customer Loyalty and the Elements of User Experience (Design Management Review, 01/2006) is about exactly what the title says.
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The Psychology of Navigation (Digital Web, 12/2002) looks at what goes through a user's mind as they find their way through Web content.
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What's In a Name? (STC Design Matters, 4/2001) features my take on the difference between information architecture and information design; also included are perspectives from people like Louis Rosenfeld and Richard Saul Wurman.
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All Those Opposed (New Architect, 3/2003) discusses ways to overcome common objections to user-centered design approaches.
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I did diagrams and analyses of the IA for two major sites for early issues of Boxes and Arrows magazine:
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I've written several opinion pieces for BusinessWeek.com:
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My essays for the Adaptive Path site include:
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Interviews
Presentations
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In addition to the following, I've given talks at private events for companies such as Google, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Amazon.com, Lockheed Martin, and Wired Magazine.
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@media07 Europe (London, UK): Keynote Presentation
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@media07 America: Keynote Presentation
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Web 2.0 Kongress (Mainz, Germany): Keynote Presentation
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OpenWeb 2.0 (Geneva, Switzerland): Keynote Presentation
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Internet+ 2007 (Beijing, China): Beyond Web 2.0
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Web Builder 2.0: (Keynote Presentation) Beyond Web 2.0
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AjaxWorld Conference and Expo (San Jose, Calif.; 2006): Keynote Presentation
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Aalborg University Information Architecture Open House (Aalborg, Denmark; 2006): (Keynote Presentation) The Information Architecture of Everyday Things
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The Web and Beyond (Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 2006): (Keynote Presentation) The Frontiers of User Experience
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Reboot 8 (Copenhagen, Denmark; 2006): (Keynote Presentation) Beyond Tagging: User-Generated Information Architecture
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Internet Global Congress 2006 (Barcelona, Spain): (Keynote Presentation) The Elements of User Experience
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Real-World Ajax (San Jose, Calif.; 2006): Keynote Presentation
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Real-World Ajax (New York City; 2006): Keynote Presentation
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O'Reilly Emerging Technologies 2006: Designing the Next Generation of Web Applications (one-day seminar)
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2nd Information Architecture Conference, Danish Research Library Association (Copenhagen, Denmark): (Keynote Presentation) The Frontiers of User Experience
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KMWorld & Intranets 2005: (Keynote Presentation) The Frontiers of User Experience
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AIGA National Design Conference 2005: Is User Experience Dead?
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Puget Sound SIG-CHI (2005): Brand-Driven Information Architecture
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The Human-Centred Design Revolution (Sydney, Australia; 2005): (Keynote Presentation) The Elements of User Experience
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AIGA Colorado (2005): Brand-Driven Information Architecture
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DigitalNow 2005: The Nine Pillars of Successful Web Teams
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Web Design World 2005 (San Francisco): (Keynote Presentation) The Nine Pillars of Successful Web Teams
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Design IT! 2005 (Tokyo, Japan): (Keynote Presentation) The Nine Pillars of Successful Web Teams
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CHI-Squared (2004): Brand-Driven Information Architecture
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KMWorld and Intranets 2004: The Elements of User Experience
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Documentation & Training 2004: (Keynote Presentation) The Evolution of Information Architecture
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ASAE DigitalNow (2004): The Elements of User Experience
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IA Summit 2004: Brand-Driven Information Architecture
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Partners in Business IT Seminar (2004): (Keynote Presentation) The Frontiers of User Experience
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NorCal PDMA Annual Conference 2003: Crayola.com: Branding and User Experience
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DCIA (2003): Q&A; Session
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Emerging Technology 2003: User Experience
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BayCHI (2002): Reverse-Engineering Web Interaction
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LACASIS Annual Meeting 2002: (Keynote Presentation) Evolution and Revolution
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WebVisions 2002: (Keynote Presentation) Evolution and Revolution
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IA Summit 2002: The Information Architecture of Everyday Things [PowerPoint]
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IA Summit 2002: Customer Insight for Information Architects (Adaptive Path one-day seminar)
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BayCHI East (2001): Information Architecture
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WEB2001: Designing the Complete User Experience (Adaptive Path two-day seminar)
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IA Summit 2001: What An Information Architect Does [PDF]
In addition, my company Adaptive Path has been conducting public courses and workshops and private training seminars since 2001.
Panels
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International Conference on Web Engineeering 2006: Web 2.0 Engineering
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Real-World Ajax (San Jose, Calif.; 2006): Speaker Roundtable
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Real-World Ajax (New York City; 2006): Speaker Roundtable
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SXSW Interactive 2006: Ajax: What's Up With That?
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The Human-Centred Design Revolution (Sydney, Australia; 2005): Speaker Roundtable
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DigitalNow 2005: Speaker Roundtable
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Design IT! 2005: Speaker Roundtable
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IA Summit 2004: Design Methods
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SXSW Interactive 2003: User-Centered Design
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IA Summit 2003: User Experience and Information Architecture
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WebVisions 2002: Speaker Roundtable
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IA Summit 2002: Creating Effective Deliverables [PowerPoint intro to the Visual Vocabulary]
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Seybold Seminars 2001: Best Practices and Tactics in Information Architecture
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CHI 2001: Measuring Information Architecture
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ASIS&T Annual Meeting 2000: Information Architecture
Other Resources
The Asilomar Institute for Information Architecture is the world's leading professional organization for information architects. Their tools and library are especially valuable. And if you like what they have to offer, please join and help support them.
A couple of other long-time favorites of mine are iaslash for the latest industry news and the wealth of information in the IAwiki.
This page used to contain a lot of links to IA resources on other sites. It's now badly out-of-date (and will only get more so), but if you're looking for it, you can find it here.