IAC: Information Architecture Conference

Call for Participation

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Our Theme

In 1976, Richard Saul Wurman coined the term information architecture. He framed IA as a practice that helps humans navigate complex information systems to facilitate clarity and human understanding. Fifty years later, our information systems are exponentially more complex, and the need for information architecture has never been greater.

That’s why the theme for the 2026 Information Architecture Conference (IAC26) is Navigating Complexity: Clarity and Understanding with Information Architecture.

Call for Participation

We invite you to share your strategies for navigating complexity at this year’s IA Conference. We welcome contributions from speakers of all backgrounds, whether you practice IA full-time or apply its principles in UX, product design, content strategy, research, or data. Successful talks might address topics such as:

  • Describe the different kinds of complexity you encounter in your work.
  • Share a case study demonstrating how you’ve used IA alongside complementary skills like research, facilitation, design, or data analysis to wrangle complexity.
  • Show real-life examples of what it looks like to “do IA” in your role.
  • Share practical approaches for drawing your whole team into your IA practice, or justifying the need for IA to leadership or clients.
  • Imagine how you might apply IA in new ways or new contexts to create innovative, human-centered information systems.

Key Dates

  • Submissions open – September 4, 09:00 a.m. (PST)
  • Submission deadline – October 5, 11:59 p.m. (PST)
  • Program decided and communicated – end of November 2025
Submit Your Proposal

*Note: This page will ask you to log in to the Sessionize system to see the submission form. You will need to create an account on Sessionize to submit.

Build Our Community

We believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our community. We encourage voices from all backgrounds to submit proposals. If you know someone who would be a great speaker, please invite them to apply. Our goal is to create an inclusive space where everyone feels empowered to connect and contribute.

Session types

To ensure a varied program, we offer a variety of session types over three days:

  • Lighting Talk—A short talk focusing on one point or concept by one speaker (10 minutes). Includes a discount to the conference.
  • Full Talk—A standard lecture-style talk for one or two speakers (20-25 minutes). Includes free conference registration. 

Proposal Guidelines 

To prepare you for submitting a proposal, here are the key sections we want you prepared to answer:

Speakers

  • Primary speaker, affiliations and contact information
  • Other speakers, their affiliations and contact information
  • Social media handles, in particular LinkedIn and Bluesky

Talk details 

  • Title of your talk
  • Session subtitle / plain language title
    • Necessary to provide a clear focus of the session, since many sessions have vague or dramatic titles
  • Further details about the talk (up to 1000 words)
    • Unlike the website description, this is intended for the review and curation teams to properly assess the talk. It should be a detailed overview of the content covered, rather than a vague intrigue – do not just repeat the summary in this section
  • Description for the website (300 words)
    • Written to elicit interest and intrigue from the attendee audience
  • 200-character description (include #IAC26)
    • Allows for social media marketing of the session and acts as a means of focusing the session topic or message
  • Supporting evidence (slides, previous presentations, videos)
  • Best topic (Exploring forward-thinking concepts, Tackling practical content and IA challenges, Embracing foundational practices, Engaging with issues of ethics in IA and design)
  • Best format (Lightning talk or Full talk)
    • Why did you select this format?
    • Second choice format 
  • Has this material been presented before?
    • If so, where and when? Feel free to submit links to a recording or slide deck.
    • Note: If you don’t have recordings or never presented before, that’s OK! We actively seek out new voices!
  • Why are you qualified to speak about this?
  • How many times have you presented at the IAC Conference?

Audience needs 

  • Intended audience (Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced)
  • What will attendees gain?
    • 3-5 specific lessons and takeaways
    • Why should people care? 
    • How will this session improve someone’s IA practice? 
    • Why might a company pay for their employee to attend this session?
  • Note: A good proposal is clear about the topic, the context, and what it will provide to the audience.

Tips for a Successful Proposal

At IAC26, we support speakers through the process – from proposals to preparation and practice at our Speaker Studio. Here are additional resources to support you in developing a great talk for IAC26.

Need help developing a proposal? Contact us at curation@theiaconference.com.