Backstage blog

Joe is a long-time UXer – from tech writing in the mid-’90s to HCI in the late ’90s into IA and IxD through today. Currently he’s a senior UX designer at Fahrenheit-212, a Capgemini company. He’s known as an avid motorcyclist, having ridden to conferences in Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore and Charleston. He’s been a regular face and a regular contributor to the IA Conference for many years. Here we ask him the same few questions we’ve asked all the team.

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

So, so many–having been to all but Portland and Austin, I have incredible memories of this conference. Probably the favorite moments include subbing on karaoke hosting with Dahlia, stepping in when the conference visited Miami to do an ad hoc preso on motorcycles & UX, and all the hallway convos.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

This community and this conference remain critical to my sense of self and well being–honestly! This year I decided to help out however I could, focusing on the experience around the sessions.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share during IAC20?

Sense-making and place-making remain critical to me as I focus on productivity apps–the places where people spend so much of their digital time.

Where can people find you?

joe.sokohl@fahrenheit-212.com professionally. On Twitter at @RegJoeConsults or @MotoUX (form the interesction of “the UX of motorcycling” and “UXers who motorcycle”)

It’s ironic that in this age of social distancing the IA community has come together like never before to make IAC20 a success. We’ve drafted in more volunteers to help us plan the logistics and format for IAC20 – our first digital information architecture conference.

We’re hearing that while some of you have lots of time on your hands, others are feeling overburdened and fatigued by increased work demands. We’re trying to strike a balance with the new format that will let as many people participate as possible while reducing the amount of attention people need to devote each day. We’re very close to having the format settled. We’re trying to find a balance that will work during these unprecedented times.

So we do ask for your forbearance and forgiveness in advance. We’re all trying to adapt to a situation that’s changing daily. As the IAC team, we’re going to do our best to adapt IAC 20 to the current moment, but we won’t get it all right. Please give us the latitude to make some mistakes along the way. 

That said, IAC has always been a conference by and for the IA community. You — all of you — are what has always made this conference great. We know that if you’re willing to take this crazy ride with us, we’ll figure this out and have something special to share and celebrate together.

Kyle has been working as an independent UX Research Consultant for the last 15 years. She’s based in New Hampshire and is originally from Philadelphia. She specializes in user research and usability testing. She’s the Founder and President of NH UXPA and served as the Chair of PhillyCHI. She’s also been serving as the IAC Mentorship Director since 2017. We asked her the same few questions we do of all the team:

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

It’s an honor to be able to help people by creating a better experience for the products they use. It’s always fascinating to learn more about the end user’s world in order to design better for it.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

I’m passionate about mentorship and the growth of this industry. It’s rewarding to be able to give back to this community, which has given me so much, in a way that also provides an outlet for my passion.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share during IAC20?

I love this year’s theme because we truly are the Sense Makers! I’m looking forward to Abby Covert’s keynote. Her book, How to Make Sense of Any Mess, was absolutely pivotal for me in understanding how information is actually created. It changed the way I think about information and our ability to manipulate and control the data that’s being used to interpret the content that we create and present to the world.

Where can people find you?

Company website: www.usableinterface.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-soucy-a844b4/

Twitter: @kylesoucy

Update 14 March

We want to express our sympathy and support for everyone who has faced disruption or difficulties due to COVID-19.  We can definitely empathise.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been planning for how to respond. Our priority has always been to safeguard the health of our community and act responsibly. But we also wanted to find a way to come together, share ideas and learn from each other.

Going digital
2020 is a big year for information architecture. As more and more people begin to make sense of working remotely and occupying digital places, we’ve decided to take the conference digital for IAC20.

We know that social interaction is an important element of IAC. While a “remote” conference might not have exactly the same feel as our face-to-face events, we’re working on plans to keep the IAC magic. We already have support from sponsors including Mural.co and we’re exploring tools and technologies to make it a great experience. We’re working with our speakers to make sure the content gets to our attendees, wherever they are. We’re developing plans for how participants can interact and ask questions of speakers. And we’ll also have opportunities for social interaction and those “corridor conversations” in digital environments. We have plans for remote networking and careers center sessions. Plus we’re working on remote karaoke… watch this space.

We’re also evaluating whether any of our workshops could work remotely. There will definitely be workshops that are cancelled. If any do go ahead we anticipate content and pricing will change. We’ll be in touch about that shortly.

Same dates – April 16th-18th Main program
We’re planning on keeping the same dates for the initial streaming and realtime interaction. But the digital conference gives us more flexibility to arrange sessions and interactions – so we’re aiming to make this a truly global conference.

Same great content
We’re still working on the logistics and confirming speakers. But our aim is for the digital conference to give you access to the same content we would have hosted in New Orleans. Plus we’ll be offering video access to all talks for at least a year, audio downloads of talks and transcripts of all talks.

Slightly cheaper pricing
We’ve reduced the price of IAC20 to $850.

If you paid more than $850 then we’ll offer a credit for the difference. You can either take that as a refund, a credit for IAC21 or EuroIA 20 in Berlin or donate to our IAC scholarship program. Look out for another personalised email to administer this.

If you already donated to the conference we’re ensuring that this donation continues to extend access to the conference to students. We’re hoping the new digital format means we can extend the reach of IAC20 even further.

Let the good times roll…
We’re excited about the idea of going digital. It will give our attendees access to more content than ever before – you can now sit through every single session. And you don’t need to take notes – you’ll have access to transcripts, audio and video.

A digital conference wasn’t our first choice. But this decision gives us two opportunities to support the development of information architecture – we share ideas and bring people together safely.

We’re working every day to develop and finalise plans – and we’ll be sharing those plans and updating the website regularly. We’ll be in touch regarding any workshop registrations and updates when plans are a little more developed.

Update 8 March

We’re continuing to make plans for IAC20 in light of the COVID-19 virus. We really want to host a conference that allows people to consume and participate in an event that stays true to what makes IAC great. And we’re looking at alternative ways to deliver an IAC experience in case the risks of a face-to-face conference mean we can’t meet in New Orleans in April.

We’re monitoring the latest advice and will follow all best practices for helping attendees remain safe. We will announce our finalised plans and contingencies on or before 15th March. But in the meantime we’re happy to answer questions at info@theiaconference.com

Update 3 March

We are aware of concerns about traveling to IAC20 this Spring due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The conference chairs discussed the situation with Vanessa Foss of Kunverj on our chairs call yesterday (1st March). We of course want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable conference.

Local authorities in New Orleans announced no heightened risk of contracting the coronavirus during carnival season and are monitoring the situation. At the time of writing this, there are currently no reported cases in Louisiana. See report and follow local news at: https://www.wdsu.com/article/there-is-no-heightened-danger-new-orleans-officials-give-update-on-coronavirus/31123403

While this news is heartening, we are aware that things can change very quickly. It is good to exercise caution and create contingency plans. We are monitoring the situation, making plans and will announce any changes on March 15.

If anyone has concerns please feel free to reach out to @theiaconf chairs directly or via info@theiaconference.com.

In the meantime, practicing common sense, washing your hands frequently, using a tissue, staying home if you feel sick, and avoiding contact with people who have recently traveled to affected areas, etc., goes a long way toward curtailing the spread of any viruses.

Stay healthy and see you in New Orleans!.

Sincerely,

Sandra Lloyd
Dan Ramsden
Noreen Whysel
IAC20 Co-Chairs

Adam is a long time UXer based in Dallas. He’s been involved with the conference since it began as the IA Summit. He coordinates the speaker support program matching speakers with coaches and running the speaker’s studio where speakers can prepare before they take the stage. Here are a few more facts about Adam:

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

Too many to count-every time I get to help create understanding. I love when someone comes to me all excited and says “I FOUND MY PEOPLE!!”

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

I was at the first IA Summit. I’ve been speaking, running workshops and volunteering the entire time.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share at IAC20?

Making sense is at the core of what we do and the need is always there. I hope to see more people who are new to this space find the community and support they lacked before.

Where can people find you?

LinkedIn. @AdamtheIA

While the IA Conference has only been around for two years, it draws on 19 years of rich tradition from the IA Summit. One of the great traditions is the volunteer work from the IA community to plan and staff the conference.

While this gives the conference an accessible and homegrown feel, it is also a challenge for organizers who are part time volunteers. The conference provider, led by Vanessa Foss of Kunverj, is making efforts to give the organizers more resources to make the conference better. One of these is the formation of the IA Conference Advisory Board.

The IA Conference Advisory Board is meant to be the long-term counterpart to the conference co-chairs. The co-chairs serve for one year to organize the conference for that year. Two of the challenges for the co-chairs and the conference in general, are the lack of continuity year to year and long-term conference development.

Here are a few answers to questions:

Who are and how are the Board members selected?

For the first go around of the Board, the members have been picked by the conference provider, Vanessa Foss. She chose people who she felt understood the conference’s ethos, and who had the right skills and experience to set up the Board for the future. One of the Board’s first jobs is to think about how to select future members in an open and inclusive way. We’ll be discussing how we can achieve that with people attending this year’s conference and the wider IAC community. 

Will the activity of the Board be accessible?

The Board will provide regular updates about the issues it’s dealing with, and the work it’s doing through the IAC blog, as well as through sessions at the Conference itself.

What authority does the Board have?

The Board is purely advisory. It gives guidance to Kunverj and the co-chairs, and it helps to create policy and long-term governance for the conference. The board does not resolve disputes or have a decision-making role.

The members of the board are:

• The chair, Giles Colborne
• Vanessa Foss
• Donna Spencer
• Peter Morville
• Ren Pope
• Alberta Soranzo
• Kevin M. Hoffman
• Samantha Bailey

What questions is the Board looking at?

The Board’s first focus is on tackling issues that the co-chairs and Kunverj request us to address as the conference planning unfolds.

The Board has been initially supporting the excellent work this year’s volunteers have been doing on Diversity and Inclusion. We’re also discussing questions around choosing co-chairs, scholarships, marketing, sponsorship, and how we ensure a good hand-over of knowledge from year to year.

There are many exciting things to come. The Board is eager to make the IA Conference a great experience.

Stacy Surla is Vice President of MetaMetrics Inc., a veteran-owned, family consultancy that provides UX and evaluation services in support of a democratic and open-market world. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland iSchool, was a twice-elected officer of the IA Institute, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of IA. She also pulls together Poster Night at IAC. Here are some words to introduce Stacy.

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

Too many to name! But becoming one with the IA community through karaoke is definitely one of my high points every year.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

I was invited by Abby Covert to curate the Poster Session last year, and I found it a really fun, non-stressful, and high impact way to support the community. Apparently it’s now my ongoing gig.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share in New Orleans?

I was raised in New Orleans during my very youngest years, and those experiences embedded a riotous abundance of semi-tropical sensation and memory into my being. I look forward to loud, crowded gatherings in high-ceilinged rooms, warm rain and the swish of rushing cars on shiny streets, and joining serious diners from all walks of life in eating amazing food in the lowest dive restaurants.

Where can people find you?

linkedin.com/in/stacysurla

We’re pleased to announce the IAC20 Scholarship Program.

The IA Conference wants to make the Information Architecture Conference more accessible to people of diverse backgrounds.

The IA Conference Scholarship Program is actively recruiting and providing scholarships to students from backgrounds underrepresented at the IA Conference to assist them with attending the IA Conference and leadership positions within the IA community. Application deadline is February 21, 2020 at 5:00pm PST / 6:00pm MST / 8:00pm EST

2020 Scholarship Application is now open. Apply at scholarships@iainsitute.org

Find out more about the program on the IAC20 Scholarship Program page.

MaShana (muh-shay-nuh) has been hugely helpful in both the curation of the conference and the scholarship program. Here are some words to introduce her:

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

CONTEXT and STRUCTURE–both very important concepts that are necessary for living in our society. Being able to turn someone’s grand ideas into a useful and usable product. Looking at the world with a different lens or eye.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

Vanessa Foss! She just has a way of pulling you. No really, I’ve attended the IAC for many years now, and thought it was time for me to give back to the community that has given me so much—a great opportunity, invaluable resources, a wider network and community, access to experts, career advice, and so much knowledge.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share in New Orleans?

IA is all about making sense of the world around us. Simplifying things and making them useful and usable within the context of our lives or moments within it. I’m hoping to gain a deeper understanding of how as a project manager I can help my team do their job better and to not just make cool digital products and spaces.

Where can people find you?

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mashanadavis/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/alwaysmashana (really have to start using this thing…)

Chiara is helping to deliver the scholarship program for IAC20. As always, we want IAC to welcome new practitioners to the IA community. The IA Conference Scholarship is designed for students new to the field, and is open to individuals in the US as well as other countries. You can find out more in the Scholarship page. But first, meet Chiara.

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

Whenever I see a search interface that needs improvement or content that is begging to be structured I can’t help but get excited. So much of what IAs do is not sexy – it’s not overly visual with animations and wiz-bangs that draw the eye. But it’s so fundamentally important. I love when I can help a client understand the value and power in structuring their information.

There’s usually at least one person on the client team who’s eyes will light up when I start talking about controlled vocabularies and metadata schemas, which always feels great. I know I can help them take control of their information and do more with it.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

The IA community are my peeps! I’ve found this community to be very supportive, caring, smart, and engaging. I always learn something and have interesting conversations with super awesome people. Some of those people have been friends for 20+ years now. I want to do my part to make sure that the IAC continues to be a place where people can come to learn, grow, have fun, and connect with their tribe. Volunteering is a great way to give back to a group that has given me so much.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share in New Orleans?

To me, making sense of the world is fundamentally what IA is all about – helping to turn data and information into knowledge. It will be interesting to hear all the different interpretations in the various sessions and posters. Given that we will be in New Orleans, I’m definitely looking forward to sensing some great jazz and beignets.

Where can people find you?

I can usually in be found in San Francisco, covered in cat hair. I sometimes tweet at: https://twitter.com/chiaraogan and often post photos at https://www.instagram.com/chachicatt/.