Implications

Morville, P., & Rosenfeld, L. (2007). Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (3rd ed.). Cambridge: O'Reilly.
chapter 1

highly valued principles of IA: change, balance between stability and flexibility & scalability

IA - defined:
structural design of information environment, shaping experiences with information through support of usability and findability (?? searchable & accessible?)

data - information - metada - knowledge

"invisibility" the concept of invisibility is important in emphasizing the need to make the transactions (with information & interface) transparent to the users so that they are not burdened with how to use the system. However, it is the job of information architects to make this invisible visible.

chapter 2

2 critiques on the chapter
1. IA as mediator: from my past working experience, the biggest role of IA is that of a mediator between disciplines. Once the client requirements are assessed, they are constantly in discussion with designers and technical staffs to address the requirements and to understand how they can be addressed. IAs do not come up with the initial design of functionality, it emerges in discussion between discipline leads. The implication, IAs are not specialists in any discipline but they need to have sufficient understanding of each discipline to understand the suggestions from each discipline and the rationale.
2. technology is no longer the center of attention in design of websites. Graphic design is. People are very easily sold by what looks good.

Factors that determine the distinct content of a site:
ownership, format, structure, metadata, volume, dynamism



An interesting observation of the readings on information architecture, design and more is that they are devoid of design intentions or purpose. All websites or information experience is provided with particular purose. In commercial world there is promotion and marketing in mind, in education there is pedagogical purpose and style in mind. These are hardly discussed and addressed by the literature, probably due to the fact that they are trying to cater to diverse industry.