My closing plenary from World IA Day in Los Angeles, February 9, 2013.

1. Exploring and expanding the ontologies of
information architecture
Observations
Stories
Lessons
Eric Reiss
@elreiss
World IA Day
9 February 2013
Los Angeles, USA

2. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

4. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

7. ( )

8. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

9. Elephant in the room today

10. Snow Semmelweis Taylor

11. 1854 Broad St. cholera outbreak

12. The Hemline Index

13. (psst…Eric…remember to talk about deconstruction and small data)

14. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

15. firmitas, utilitas, venustas

16. Marco Vitruvius Pollio

17. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

18. Source: Standard screen patterns by Theresa Neil

19. Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

20. Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

21. Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

22. Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

23. Eric’s life-lesson #1
Don’t worship the form.
Embrace the content and context.

24. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

26. ag·ile
adj
1 : able to move quickly and easily
2 : mentally quick and resourceful

27. The three Scrum questions
1. What did you do yesterday?
2. What will you do today
3. What is blocking your progress?

29. The three Scrum questions
1. What did you do yesterday?
I sailed west.
2. What will you do today?
Sail back to where I was yesterday.
3. What is blocking your progress?
These fucking Scrum meetings!

30. My Favourite Process
DWYNTDTGTSD
Do What You Need To Do To Get The Shit Done

31. Eric’s life-lesson #2
Don’t become a slave to process.
Break the rules.
Accept the unexpected.

32. Some thoughts from today
It’s all Greek to me…
A firm notion
Big data, bigger insights
Putting the “A” into “IA”
Design or mass-production?
Process or pedantry?
The Charles H. Duell myth

33. “There is nothing left to invent…”
Charles H. Duell
U.S. Patent Commissioner, 1899
(an urban myth)

35. Could there also be too much
complacency in our industry today?

37. Can we put our work into
historical perspective?

38. 1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

39. First commercial
automobile
Wall St. crash
First series-produced
automobiles
First assembly line
1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935

40. First commercial
automobile
Wall St. crash
First series-produced
automobiles
First assembly line
1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935
1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001

41. First commercial
automobile
Wall St. crash
First series-produced
automobiles
First assembly line
1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935
1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001
First commercial
CMS
First commercial Dot-bomb
websites
First commercial
web browser

42. First commercial
automobile
Wall St. crash
First series-produced
automobiles
First assembly line
1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935
1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001
First commercial
CMS
First commercial Dot-bomb
websites
First commercial
web browser

43. So, we’re somewhere in the 1980s...

44. “Cease not to learn until thou
cease to live. Think that day
lost wherein thou draw’st no
letter to make thyself more
learn’d, wiser, and better.”
Guy Du Faur de Pibrac

45. My big message:
Don’t be complacent.
And you CAN
change the world,
so get on with it!

46. You can (usually) find Eric at:
The FatDUX Group ApS
Strandøre 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77
Mobile: (+45) 20 12 88 44
Twitter: @elreiss
er@fatdux.com
www.fatdux.com