No subject

| Which makes me wonder: is it possible that what we think of as IA and
| user-centered principles have been well-integrated into the
| design process 
| in Europe and the UK? Is there some fundamental integration
| of design and 
| functionality within the design education process that makes
| it unnecessary 
| to have a separate identity for information architects?

I'm with Victor here. The western European design group I worked with last
summer (which shall remain nameless) took over the "information
architecture" for the site we were all working on -- and only tolerated the
IA input when they ran into problems. I attribute the struggle to a couple
of things: 

--the (lack of) translation of IA stuff to and general knowledge of IA in
their language; 
--years and years of history in print and logo design that they were
convinced could move to the web and dynamic media without missing a beat;

--anti-Americanism (they just didn't want to listen because it was yet
another instance of the US taking over the world); and

--good old fashioned misogyny ('nuff said there).

In that firm's defense, I think they'll become believers when they've
received enough slaps about their current efforts to convince them that IA
is another skill to add to their repertoire rather than something to just
say they do. 

Enough of my non-caffeinated ramble...

Cinnamon 


Cinnamon Melchor | Sapient
e: cmelchor at sapient.com

1515 North Courthouse Road
Arlington, Virginia 22201