[Sigia-l] AIfIA Goals 2004 Survey Results

[anne at mindstorm.com]

I don't disagree. But it's also important to not offer a one-size-fits-all
approach as the only solution for every project out there. Flexibility is
key.

Even within the same set of deliverables and processes, things can (and
perhaps should) always be tweaked slightly to offer the best solution for
a particular situation.

That's all I'm sayin'. :-)

-Anne


> Standards become important when the company is larger and projects can
> span years multiple IAs.  Standards allow your work to endure, to be
> easily adapted, and to be easily translated.  I understand the impulse
> towards the "art" and away from the "science".  I wanted to be an IA
> artist, and it worked while I was in a small consultancy with small
> project teams.  In the world of large corporations "art" can cause more
> problems than it solves.  We have found that standards for design,
> deliverables, process, and the like are critical to long-term success.
>
> Standards will also help IAs when it comes time to shift employers or
> contracts.  If all of the employers out there see that there are strong
> standards and definitions around this thing called Information
> Architecture then it will be easier to evaluate candidates and fill
> positions.  I can't tell you the number of times I have seen a resume of
> someone claiming the title of information architect yet none of there
> skills or experience even comes close to the most lax definition of the
> trade.
>
> "Standards" does not equate to "rigidity".  The PMA (Project Management
> Association) has strict standards.  Yet when they work on projects PMA
> trained project managers use those standards like an artist in their
> favorite medium.
>
> We IAs are a lot that seems to always balk at being limited or put in a
> box, but I think the only way we will ever be taken as seriously as others
> in the professional ranks is to create standards and definitions for who
> we are, what we do, and how we do it.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
>
>
> anne at mindstorm.com
> Sent by: sigia-l-admin at asis.org
> 12/18/2003 12:45 PM
>
>
>         To:     "Donna M. Fritzsche" <donnamarie at amichi.info>
>         cc:     sigia-l at asis.org, (bcc: David Fiorito/IT/VGI)
>         Subject:        RE: [Sigia-l] AIfIA Goals 2004 Survey Results
>
>
>
>
>
> Agreed. A good IA should be able to adjust tools and processes to fit the
> needs of any given project and/or client.
>
> -Anne
>
>> At 12:20 PM -0500 12/18/03, Noreen Whysel wrote:
>>>Another way to read the initiative question is as a cart before
>>>horse problem.  Can we Promote IA effectively before developing the
>>>practice with standardized tools and processes?
>>
>> If you truly mean standardized tools and processes- I would say  eeks!
>> I think there is an art and a science to what we do, and while its
>> useful to have a toolset of accepted/well-regarded tools and
>> processes to pull from - I think it would be terrible to try to
>> standardize the process.
>>
>> (except at the level of shared international standards for underlying
>> formats -such as Dublin Core - I think these types of standards can
>> be useful.)
>>
>> my .02
>>
>> Donna
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