The Value of Information Architecture

Overview

Information architecture (IA) has evolved to think broadly about designing information ecosystems. IA plays a vast and pervasive role in daily life, social structure, and the organization of economic and political power. And yet we still need, and struggle, to explain what information architecture is and what its value is.

If IA academics and practitioners aim to demonstrate the value of their work and improve the wellbeing of human beings surrounded by and immersed in information systems, there are critical questions they must answer:

1. What is the value of IA in society, present and future? Specifically, what is the value of IA as a discipline?
2. What narratives do we share in our IA communities about our origins, purpose, and value? What are the limitations of those narratives?
   
3. How can we redirect conversations about economic value or "return on investment" (ROI) toward a broader, more meaningful range of human values?
   
4. What concepts or vocabulary can we use in order to explain the value of information architecture to our colleagues, clients, and communities?
   

The virtual roundtable event is spread across 3 days, 2 hours each day, to engage participants in addressing these questions and to clarify the ‘Value of IA’. The online format accommodates a global conversation and is open to anyone with an interest in IA, continuing the Roundtable’s tradition of gathering practitioners, researchers, and educators from around the world to discuss critical aspects of our discipline and share what is discussed with the broader IA community.

organizers

Stacy Surla
MetaMetrics
‍‍
Andrea Resmini
Jönköping University
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Sarah A. Rice
‍Seneb Consulting
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Jeff Pass
‍Booz Allen Hamilton
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Asha Singh
Consultant