[Sigia-l] Fwd: Time for communications to take charge of your website

Mon May 20 21:20:43 EDT 2002

Manager of Communications is a pretty common corporate title.

As a content strategy/management consultant with an extensive 
writing/editing background, I pretty much agree with Gerry. But not 
entirely. Communicators are different than communications 
departments. The danger of seeing the web as ONLY a communications 
medium is that it limits a company's view of what the medium can do. 
Communications departments often see the Web as just another 
publication, and that's obviously not enough.

Communications departments are also often invested in the current 
status quo of a company, especially in terms of hierarchy and 
approval. Those folks might have a hard time seeing the need for 
dynamism (as opposed to making sure all the "i"s are dotted and that 
Legal gets two weeks to review everything).

I think what's really necessary is for a website to be owned by a 
visionary with a deep understanding of communication...as well as a 
sensitivity to the fact that people like familiarity, that there are 
lots of people who have invested many years of their careers into the 
current system. That person has to have lots of buy-in from 
Communications, Marketing, various business units, departments, etc., 
because they will be called on to work together more often and more 
closely than they may ever have before. That might be someone in 
Communications, or it might be someone from outside the organization 
entirely.

In my view, that person probably isn't an IA. Not because IAs aren't 
smart enough, but because they need to focus too closely on what the 
user needs, vs. what the organization wants. The site needs to 
accommodate both, fairly.

My .02.

--Hilary

At 11:30 AM -0400 5/20/02, Anne Hjortshoj wrote:
>One thing to note here is that for many companies, the marketing
>department in in charge of corporate communications.
>
>-Anne
>
>On Tue, 21 May 2002, Eric Scheid wrote:
>
>>  Gerry McGovern last week said "someone should be in charge of your
>>  website" ... that is, someone to say "the buck stops here" and to end the
>>  pastiche of design by committee.
>>
>>  This week he answers the question of just who... the "Communications
>>  Manager". Not IT, not Marketing, ... Communications.
>>
>>  http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2002/nt_2002_05_20_ownership.htm
>>
>>  >The natural home for your website is within the communications
>>  >section of your organization. This is because the Web is first
>>  >and foremost a communications medium. To fully own the website,
>>  >communications managers need to stop being scared of technology.
>>  >They also need to get to grips with information architecture
>>  >design.
>>
>>  Huh?
>>
>>  I've never heard of a Manager of Communications. Someone please enlighten
>>  me here.
>>
>>  He then goes on to say some provocative things about Information
>>  Architects...
>>
>>  >Another reason why communication executives have not embraced the
>>  >website is because they have shied away from information
>>  >architecture design. Again, the impression is that information
>>  >architecture is a technical discipline.
>>  >
>>  >It is absolutely not. It is a communications discipline. Those who
>>  >try to make it seem technical don't understand it properly or are
>>  >trying to protect their turf.
>>
>>  Comments anyone?
>>
>>  >Information architecture deals with the organization and layout of
>>  >content on a website. If a communications executive has ever managed
>>  >the publication of a magazine, large report, or book, they have
>>  >dealt with information architecture-type issues. Figuring out how to
>>  >lay out the front page of a magazine, the table of contents, the
>>  >index, the chapter structure; these are all information
>>  >architecture-type issues.
>>
>>  I thought those were page layout issues, more the domain of information
>>  designers, not information architects.
>>
>>  >Yes, information architecture is quite complicated on a large website.
>  > >However, metadata, classification, navigation, search, and webpage
>>  >design and layout, are communications challenges.
>>
>>  and not logistics or interoperability or ... ?
>>
>>  >The person in charge of your website should be a communications
>>  >expert with strong expertise in editing and publishing content.
>>  >They should have control of the entire website, not just parts
>>  >of it.
>>
>>  Call me cynical, but is this guy in the business of content consulting?
>>
>>  >A website's core objective is? To communicate.
>>
>>  Tell that to eBay and Amazon. Communication, for those sites, is only a
>>  *means* to an end -- their true core objective is to sell stuff.
>>
>>  <hurrumph>
>>
>>  Thats my gripe for the day.
>>
>>  e.
>>
>>  ______________________________________________________________________
>>  eric at ironclad.net.au                 i r o n c l a d   n e t w o r k s
>>  information architect                      http://www.ironclad.net.au/
>>
>>
>>  Content Management Symposium, Chicago O'Hare Marriott, June 28 - 30.
>>  See http://www.asis.org/CM
>>
>>  ASIST SIG IA: http://www.asis.org/SIG/SIGIA/index.html
>>  _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>Content Management Symposium, Chicago O'Hare Marriott, June 28 - 30.
>See http://www.asis.org/CM
>
>ASIST SIG IA: http://www.asis.org/SIG/SIGIA/index.html
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-- 
Hilary Marsh
president
content company inc
plan  *  create  *  manage
http://www.contentcompany.biz