Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with informationarchitecture

Are there needles in this haystack?

Other — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:24:20 -0800

I'm looking for user interface shops or departments within companies that do a particular kind of work, and that hire a particular kind of role (even if they have no jobs open right now). Do you know if they exist, and whether they're common or rare? Or, do you know how I can find out? What I'm looking for is defined by two things -- the kinds of interfaces the company creates and the kind of role I would have.

For the kinds of interfaces, examples of what I'd like would be the screen that a nurse uses to run a machine, or the pda application that a sales person uses to manage their road-trips. I like working on interfaces where:
-- The users have a goal to accomplish besides exploring the interface itself. So, not brand websites or information databases.
--The users really need or want to do the task; it's not something the company has to convince them to want to do. So, not most retail sites or marketing-related work.
--The goal is focused and concrete. So, not sprawling system or multi-purpose application work.
I think that embedded systems are more often good examples of this kind of interface than websites or PC applications, though I wouldn't rule those out if they satisfy the description.

For the kind of role
--I love gathering requirements and defining offerings through qualitative ethnographic research and analysis of the functions of comparable products.
--I love figuring out the logic and architecture.
--I don't mind qualitative usability testing.
--I don't mind some specification/documentation.
--I don't do any visual design.
--I don't do any quantitative testing, market testing, or ergonomic stuff like eye-tracking.
--I don't do any coding, not even in something like Flash or html.
So, I'd need a user experience role on a team where others are responsible for both the visual design and the techie parts.

Is defining the work and the role as above so narrow that I eliminate just about every position I might ever find? Or are there lots of potential matches? Do you know of any in particular? Or, do you know how I could find out, including for companies that aren't currently hiring?

My wife and I live in northern California now, but we're open to some other parts of the US. I can stay in my current, good job and out-wait the economy indefinitely.

Psychic shopper needed!

sio42 — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:58:10 -0800

[GiftBuyingFilter]: I need gift recommendations, mefites! Bridal shower gift for someone who is into IA, running, modern dance, and is the happiest person I've ever met in a non-bubbly way. I'm not really sure what to get this girl. I want to get her a personal gift as me and my SO are getting the happy couple a joint wedding gift as well. I really like her but have not a chance to get to know her intimately over the last several years. She lives in a different city than we do and her fiance is a friend of my SO's.

I was pleasantly surprised to be included in her small bachelorette party gathering and would like to give her something cool. But I don't know what that is. I don't plan on making a big deal out of it.

Donation to support her favorite zine? Gift card to Zappos? Gift card to Amazon?

The first one sounds kinda cool...the other two kinda generic.

Is there a really good online store for running stuff? I know she plans on running some 1/2 marathons later this year.

I don't want to ask my SO b/c I'm afraid he'll ask HER SO who will ask her.

IDK, maybe this is silly. I've never been a good gifter!

Help me find IA and UXD educational resources.

Mister_A — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:57:26 -0800

Please recommend resources for learning more about and staying current on user experience design and information architecture. I am particularly keen to hear about books, periodicals, and educational web sites on the subject, but live training is a possibility too. Cheap is good, but I don't mind paying. I have some technical knowledge, but not advanced technical skills, so technical jargon is OK, but I prefer to learn more about current concepts and theories in IA and UXD, as I supervise the design and development of sites.

Where do I start with an IT standards library?

kalessin — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:29:07 -0800

Please help me figure out a starting point for research and planning. I need to take the lead on making a standards library or process library at work (a medium-sized IT department), and while I have some ideas, I really don't know where to start, or what resources to use as a planning guide and sanity check. While I know that we'll use our extant document management tools and processes to store, organize and search the library, what I really need to know is if there are any non-trade-organization-firewalled (i.e. non-fee-based, public) resources on how to start thinking about and designing a standards library.

My closest relevant experience is in policy writing, both from the standpoint of computer security and from the standpoint of organizational policy/administration, and while some of that experience is professional or volunteer experience, I really don't have formal training.

What I really want to know is whether there are publicly accessible primers and resource libraries about these sorts of topics, or whether I should be pushing managers at work to send me to or help me pay for formal training in these fields.

What are some good examples of left-hand sub-menu navigation?

kables — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:22:02 -0800

I have a client who wants to reveal its entire site map in the left navigation. What left-hand navigation examples can I show them as an alternative? Information architects and web fanatics: I have a large corporate client who is determined to expose its entire site map through its left hand navigation. In doing so they want three tiers -- one main list with two levels of fly-outs. I'm trying to convince them that hiding at least one level of fly-outs would serve them better, so want to show them examples. Here's what I envision:

-Left nav has n number of items
-User clicks on one of these items
-User goes that page and nav expands down to reveal second-tier items that relate to that facet
-Third-tier items are then accessible as fly-outs from those newly revealed second tier items

Can you think of any sites that do this or similar? Even sites with two levels that expand, sans fly-outs, would be useful examples.

Designer looking for Information Architecture job in London

kiwi.es — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 00:38:40 -0800

Hi all, I'm asking this on behalf of my girlfriend, who has an MA in design from Moscow but has worked here in London for the past 2 years as a web designer / traditional media designer (dreamweaver, photoshop, illustrator, flash, director, etc. She's looking for guidance on how best to move into an IA role -- any suggestions much appreciated! So she knows how to paint and is articulate in humanities etc. She has a good eye and her photo and static design work has been published in the past. More recently in the past 3-4 years she's been doing the 'web designer' role a lot -- using Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, Director and in the past year been doing work with Flash/Actionscript 2.0 doing a couple of freelance projects in her spare time recently where she's been doing all the IA-style activities. So she's competent technically as well as creatively and basically has a really solid understanding of the creative process and wants to lead the charge by taking on an IA post in her next job, preferably working with bigger rather than smaller projects... also she has a very strong maths and physics background so has a strong analytical / logical head. For me she'd be an ideal IA.

Anyone have any suggestions as to where to look or even know of people who are looking? She'd need sponsorship -- I can send CVs etc if it helps.

(I hope I'm not breaking any netiquette rules by asking for jobs here... if so please just interpret this as a more general question in the spirit of metafilter).

thanks!