[Sigia-l] IA and Prototype Theory

[Bob Doyle]

Hi Peter and Sarah,

I think the basic connection between prototype theory (meaning by 
resemblance) and Information Architecture should be found in the Library 
Science background of so many IA's.

As Peter van Dijk put it in the reference below, it's a question of how 
we categorize and classify.

So powerful IA tools like taxonomies, thesauri, and faceted 
classifications are forms of prototyping.

Peter v D disusses "basic" categories, but your basic may be my 
advanced, and everything is culture dependent.  This is why we build 
controlled vocabularies for each client organization based on their 
peculiar usage ("user warrant").

Lakoff teaches us that we can discover the most basic or primal words by 
the metaphors we use with them. But general usage may not be relevant 
for a jargon-laden organization.  So listen to how the client talks.

Google may not have much, but the tools are in chapter 9 of the Polar 
Bear book, in something by Jean Aitchison on thesauri, then on to 
faceted classifications.  We need to get Peter v D to flesh out his XFML 
(eXchangeable Faceted Metadata Language).

I am trying to work with faceting in a scheme to classify CM Systems so 
we can compare them and evaluate them more quickly.

See http://www.cmsml.org and http://www.cmsreview.com/Directory.html

I wrote a short piece for the Gilbane Report at 
http://www.cmsreview.com/Reviews/GilbaneReport1.pdfPeter Merholz wrote:

> On Mar 12, 2004, at 7:54 AM, Sarah Brodwall wrote:
>
>>  I'm interested to hear if any of you have any experience with 
>> prototype theory, and if you've thought about any ways in which you 
>> might apply it to your work in information architecture.
>
>
> Alas, all I have been able to do is think about it. (As opposed to 
> apply it.)
>
> The IA community has in the past referenced George Lakoff's "Women, 
> Fire, And Dangerous Things," which address prototype theory.
>
> (A search on google for ["information architecture" "george lakoff"] 
> reveals a number of results.)
>
> Peter van Dijck wrote about basic-level categories here:
> http://poorbuthappy.com/ease/archives/002360.html
>
> Unfortunately, there hasn't been much to bridge from information 
> architecture to prototype theory. (A google search for ["information 
> architecture" "prototype theory"] turns up very little.)
>
-- 
Bob Doyle, Editor In Chief
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