[Sigia-l] The Value of an IA discussion - from a newbie's perspective

[Louise Hewitt]

On 1/27/06, Kathleen Tucker <ktucker24 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I've been reading all of your comments about the position of an IA and the
> value an IA brings to a project and I'm gradually getting more confused
> about what I'm getting myself into as I try to break into this discipline.
>
HI Kathleen,

I was a latecomer to the trade too, and like most (I think) came at it
sideways, almost doing the job before it was invented and then giving
it a name.

It is a little confusing, but that's what makes it exciting. The field
is perhaps one of the youngest in newmedia, and as a result the
experience and principles are blossoming pretty fast.

Don't get too hung-up on doing things the 'right' way. There is a lot
of new talent entering the field that has the advantage of taking the
fundamentals that were crafted by IA's 'founding fathers' for granted.
Breaking the precedent can uncover some of the best solutions to the
problems of presenting information over digital media, so get stuck in
with your own ideas.

Mentoring will be a good (and necessary) process in the future, when
consistency is beneficial. But surely we are more of a teenage
discipline right now, and as such can get the best results from
experimentation.

I've found every one here to be very generous and kind with thier
comments, and I've learnt more here than in any textbook you can buy.

:-)

Lou.