1. Too academic - "User Centered Design (UCD)" is a methodology that results in intuitive and usable interfaces for information retrieval and functional applications. When too much emphasis is placed on the process, however, a presentation may fail to resonate with business stakeholders. For real impact to clients, focus on connecting the dots between UCD services and the business value generated by the service. Don't over-emphasize the methodology. Keep it simple. The focus should be on the business and the end-user, not on the discipline of Information Architecture.
2. Too much focus on end-user benefits - While the goal of User Experience Architecture is to understand and service the needs of end-users, IA practitioners for business clients achieve this goal in order to successfully accomplish business objectives. This point needs to be emphasized in every presentation made to business stakeholders, or the presentation will likely fail to resonate. Make explicit the connection between satisfying end-users and achieving business objectives
3. Too rigid with methodology - Fortunately for the discipline of Information Architecture, there are many ways to put the methodology into practice. If it was an inflexible science, it would rely on a ladder of dependencies in order to be implementable. Essentially, the discipline would become more ideological than practical. Creativity is needed, when applying the User Centered Design methodology to a business initiative, to develop an affordable and valuable set of services to clients. My previous blog post describes ways to indirectly gain intelligence about clients' end-users when upfront, primary research is out of the question. There are many alternatives to expensive services that can be utilized in the name of maintaining a healthy client relationship and project timeline, without putting the end-users' needs at risk. Understand that if upfront research is not in scope, low fidelity design validation should be proposed. And if design validation gets cut, functional prototype testing should be proposed. If any flavor of usability testing gets cut, make a proposal to the client to deploy the product to a select segment or beta population to get some feedback prior to wider distribution. Most importantly, don't be inflexible. Listen to other proposals for approaching the project strategically. In fact, don't rely on your own methods. Ask for alternatives in order to better understand the realm of possibilities that exist to better inform Design.
4. Micro-managing - Information Architects get accused of micro-managing Strategy and Design simply because of the sheer amount of work that they are asked to do. IAs are responsible for informing end-user and content requirements through research, developing use cases, producing a Design concept and interaction model, as well as validating the execution of Design. Ultimately, the perception that IAs micro-manage Design is only a reflection of the visibility and authority on a project that the Information Architect's role entails. Therefore, Information Architects have a responsibility to cultivate a culture of openness and collaboration to combat this perception and to not give in to "the power trip." The simple truth of the matter is that no one individual has all of the answers. Ideas and Design improve when a group of talented Design professionals weigh-in and provide input. Struggle ceaselessly to make sure input is regularly solicited, and watch the perception of micro-management vanish. More importantly, watch the quality of the work steadily improve.
5. Constraining Visual Design - Interaction Design is held in high-regard by certain Information Architects and treated dismissively by others. I've actually heard IAs tell me that they aren't interested in doing wireframes because the "real thinking" comes from the research and conceptual user experience strategy that results from the research analysis. The problem with that sentiment is that clients want design and interaction models sooner in the lifecycle than most Visual Designers are introduced (which is, admittedly, unfortunate). IAs, therefore, need to illustrate the conceptual framework of the user experience and begin pushing the interface elements into the Design phase. Here is where good Information Architects seek the input of Visual Designers. However, that pairing isn't always possible. When collaboration is out of scope, Information Architects should be pushing the interaction design and UI patterns of the User Experience as far as they can. Designers should not feel constrained by detailed UI documentation. Detailed interaction models are possible because of the rich insights that Information Architects gain as a result of primary research. Visual Designers should appreciate the framework and information hierarchy expressed by the Interaction Designer or Information Architect, but also challenged to improve upon these ideas. It is a sign of weakness when a Visual Designer claims that he/she can't think out of the boundaries of a wireframe. Design is, by nature, constrained by business and user requirements that the wireframe illustrates. If Design was without boundaries, it would be Art.
Jonathan Lupo
@userexperience (Twitter)
8 comments:
Some good points made, thanks. I can particularly identify getting the balance between user and business friendliness right albeit a tough struggle sometimes.
good to challenge the thinking of some IAs.
I would, though, challenge the equating of visual design with interaction design. They're not the same and, in most cases, should be kept separate. Where IxD is about behavioral specificity, VisD is about visual language, meme, the emotion of point/line/shape and so on. Though overlapping, they are distinct disciplines: think AIGA and IxDA, two organizations that have some overlap but are definitely distict.
Finally, I urge you (*and other UXers) to eschew the term "end user." Instead, let's agree to use the term "user" (or "person" or "customer" or whatever). "End user" is a pejorative artifact from computer science, marginalizing people at the end of a system and process.
Sadly, these aren't merely negative perceptions, they are accurate perceptions, too. The IA community has paid lip-service to the business community, but has never shown that it actually understands business.
And IAs love showing off their tools instead of demonstrating what they can do with them.
Thanks for sharing your insights and wisdom.
Every one of these items describes a balancing act. IAs sit in the middle of different skill sets, perceptions and motivations.
How you establish that balance is as much of a product of the people around you and your understanding of what's important to them and to be more specific; what their pain-points are than having any sort of prescripted or methodological approach
How you strike those balances will be different every time.
Nice article - Succinctly written.
Thanks
-AP
A client of mine some time ago asked me not to be so academic. I was very frustrated, however this I have to admit that the client was right. IAs tend to me very academic and emphasizing on methodology, books and practices while forgetting about everything else.
I would also have to admit that IAs often focus more on the user experience rather than on satisfying business objectives. While both don't exclude each other it it essential to focus on what is this site really for.
Good article!
Well, I work with Jonathan, so I'm biased a bit, but I liked this post.
I'm also interested in the softening - really almost vanished - line between Strategy and UX planning - because many of the challenges of my job in Account Management (Generate ROI) are contrary to the needs of the person who uses the digital media experience (human beings). At the intersection of business and user needs there is often interesting turbulence.
An enjoyable article. I particularly relate to the sentiment of collaborative working. I think a good IA combines the analytical ability that comes from methodology with an innate ability to empathise with people - whether end users or the project team. I am always at my happiest learning and sharing as part of a cross-disciplinary team, combining the best of each person's skillsets - be it interface, dev, IA or design.
Thanks for sharing.
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