[Sigia-l] Little things an IA MUST know/do

[Jeff Lash]

This was covered about a year ago on this list
--> http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/0202/0578.html

I'm wondering what (if anything) has changed since then.

I'll throw out the usual disclaimer that "required" skills for one 
IA position might include, for example, CSS, Visio, and contextual 
inquiry, while another IA position might require knowledge of taxonomy 
creation, Dublin Core, and XML.

I also know people who do IA (and may or may not be "information 
architects") who don't have experience with any of the above, and 
they still do their jobs well.

So, not to just throw a blanket "it depends" out there, but, it does 
depend on
- the structure of your employer (are you an innie, consultant...)
- what group you work in (inside a corporate library vs. inside a 
web development team...)
- the skills required for your specific position (I had to learn 
SQL at a former employer after layoffs got rid of anyone in my group 
with a programming background)
- the skills of the people you work with (an IA as part of a big 
team vs. a lone IA)

So, you're probably looking for technical skills or hard-and-fast 
requirements, but I don't think those exist, and if we can't even 
agree on the definition of a word on this list, I certainly don't 
think we'll agree on a set of skills of IAs. Thus, I offer this list 
of "things that a Great Information Architect must do/know":

- listen
- communicate effectively, both written and verbally
- learn new skills quickly
- keep up with new trends, technologies, and research
- understand the views and goals of all stakeholders
- have at least a good understanding of the basic technologies and 
business practices of the organization and project
- listen

Jeff