[Sigia-l] The End of Big IA (was IA research?)

[Dave]

Thomas, I don't think there is "splintering" going on as you describe.
I don't think that people are describing the same thing in different
terminology. I think people are trying to decompartmentalize User
Experience so that we can move beyound our convoluted histories. There
is so much overlap in terminology today that it is impossible to get
the nuggets out of the individual disciplines and truly make a
difference to the whole. Now more than ever it is imperative that UX
practitioners (and I guess
academics) get it together and deconstruct itself. Only through that
type of deconstructive process will we be better prepared to present
ourselves as a true solution to our clients.

While I think that Peter's T-model is pretty accurate, I think it
concentrates too much on the practitioner. All practitioners have
overlap.
If you think about the people, that is where you get stuck. The
disciplines themselves while there is overlap, the overlap is mostly
historical in practice and less about what is really at the core of
what that discipline has to offer. If the discipline practitioners
removed their egos for a minute and started looking at themselves as
practitioners that span some if not all of UX with spheres of
specialization, we can then concentrate not on where the overlaps are
and thus create chiefdoms of "this is MINE!", but we could create
fields of interest where we share and learn from each other.

To me, out of all the UX disciplines, IA is in both the worst and best
position to begin this. Best in that most of the participants in this
discipline are x-field practitioners at some level. Worst because it
has the most weird history and thus a very choatic beginning. I see
AIfIA's mandate as one where they can steer a clear direction through
this chaotic storm, or one where they fall victim to it. It looked
like it was heading toward steering us through. But people are feeling
from time to time a bit alienated b/c they can't get past ... "But I
also do this ..." Ok, so for that you go to X for advice, and when you
want to talk about them coming together, ... Well that space hasn't
quite been created yet, but there are people working on it. ;) (Yes, I
know about AIGA-ED and UXnet, but I don't see these as completing this
circle. In fact, I find it oxymoronic that an organization whose
mandate is tied to "Graphic Arts" lead ED, or UX. And, UXnet is about
coordination and not about leading. DUX is just a place to share
experiences. There is no real knowledge building or discipline
building there.)

-- dave