[Sigia-l] Getting Thirsty in Chicago

[Betsy Martens]

Hi Louise (and any other thirsty Chicagoans),

There are actually several different IA-ish grouplets in Chicago so you can
take your pick. Not that you have to choose. There are different flavors
that have evolved, Chicago-style*, and I try to check them all out whenever
I can.

(1) Donna Fritzsche has been organizing IA Learning Hours to great success,
with the next one scheduled for Monday, April 22 at 6:30 pm at the Shedd
Aquarium. The discussion will focus on paper vs electronic prototype user
testing. For more info contact Donna at (773) 227-9731 or dfritz at artic.edu.

(2) Hilary Marsh has just launched Net Content-Chicago for content
professionals and I mention it in this IA context because I'm in the midst
of redesigning and rewriting a Website and have become painfully aware of
the extent to which IA and content intertwine. (Though mostly on this list
the boundary discussions have focused on IA and design.) Net
Content-Chicago's first program is on Tuesday, April 23 at the Illinois
Institute of Art. For more information, contact Hilary at
hilary at contentcompany.biz.

(3) And then there are the IAs who mainly get together to drink and
socialize -- with varying doses of IA profundity. We are small in number but
large in spirit. If you're interested in our next soiree, contact me
off-list at bigshoulders at mindspring.com.

(4) There have been other successful programs that have run over the last
two or three years. Debbie Kong and Rachel Switzky organized several AMC
meetings with very interesting programs, but haven't been heard from in
awhile. Prior to that, Suma Raju and I organized a series of discussions of
books like The Design of Everyday Things, Hamlet on the Holodeck, and The
Social Life of Information.

It's ever-evolving, and I'm sure any of us would be glad to make your
acquaintance!

Betsy Martens
Big Shoulders Information Design
312-498-2419
bigshoulders at mindspring.com

-----------------
*Chicago-style: Chicago, the city of neighborhoods, has often been referred
to as the city of small villages. There are many different identities for
Chicago, so it's only fitting that professional IAs reflect this in their
organizational evolution. Maybe someday we'll have "one big industrial
union"! But I kinda doubt it.


on 4/15/02 12:21 PM, Louise at gruenberg.louise at attbi.com wrote:

> All these references to drinking parties are making me feel dehydrated! Is
> anyone in Chicago working to pull something like this together? Do you need
> help? Do you want me to get cracking and put something together? Everybody
> interested, e-mail me, and I'll post when it's in the works.
> 
> Of course, if you've all been meeting behind my back ... I'll try not to hold
> it against you. Save some of that Sangria for me, it's unseasonably hot today.
> 
> Louise Gruenberg