[Sigia-l] What makes an IA good at what he or she does?

[Donna M. Fritzsche]

I would agree with everything Sean said:
my short list:
Critical thinker, visual thinker, whole-brain thinker, non-linear 
thinker, ability to move from big picture to detail with ease, and 
I'll repeat what Sean said: ability to easily see connections between 
disparate elements and across systems.

Donna

At 10:41 AM -0600 2/12/04, Sean Lawrence wrote:
>I think that HF is more geared towards User Research positions, 
>personally.  I've always said that IA's need to be people who have 
>an integrative perspective.  They need to be able to easily see 
>connections between disparate elements.  Wire frames are simply the 
>result of a visceral process and the quality of them depend on the 
>quality of one's abiltity as it is informed by their own experience. 
>From what I've encountered, people who make the best IA's tend to be 
>people who have a LOT of different interests, approach things from a 
>"whole systems" angle, prefer an inductive approach and are rabid 
>problem-solvers.  If you actually enjoy sitting down with a knotted 
>up mess of chain and unknotting it, you might be an IA ;)
>
>-sean
>
>Laurie Gray wrote:
>
>>I was recently challenged by a colleague to define what makes us good at
>>what we do. His argument was, anyone can draw wireframes - what makes
>>what you do different, and better?
>>I have some ideas but I am curious to hear what the group thinks. This
>>particular colleague is very much in support of my work, and the
>>discussion related on how to sell my skills to other colleagues, who
>>feel that anyone trained in HF can do IA work.
>>
>>Thank you,
>>Laurie
>>
>>------------------------------------
>>HumanCentric Technologies
>>Laurie Gray
>>Senior Usability Specialist
>>lgray at humancentrictech.com
>>111 James Jackson Ave. Suite 221 Cary NC 27513
>>tel: 919-481-0565
>>fax: 919-481-0310
>>------------------------------------
>>
>>
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