In our second post introducing the members of the team organising IA Conference 2020 we move on to Sandra Lloyd, another of the co-chairs.
Who are you?
I am an information architect who also does UX design and service design. I’m currently at Concur, but have worked previously for Fjord, Amazon, Tribal DDB, and House Party. I have a varied background: before I became a designer, I worked in financial services. And I have a master’s degree in Oboe. I believe diversity and inclusion are the cornerstone of good design.
What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?
I loved co-creating optimized user flows with customer care and sales reps at Hawaiian Telcom; working together to inform designs that would help them do their jobs better and more easily. I love helping make people’s lives better, and when you can work directly with them, it’s like a dream come true–especially when they’re so passionate about their jobs.
What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?
From my first conference ever with this community, IA Summit 2013 in Baltimore, I knew this was a special community. I was initially approached by Christina Wodtke and Abby Covert to volunteer for IAS 2014, and how could I say no?! I wanted to be involved with a great community that made me feel like family and like I could be successful in my career. I am so glad I did.
What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share in New Orleans?
In our work as information architects and designers, the importance of objectively observing–versus making assumptions based solely on our biases, beliefs and hopes–steers us in the right direction when making design decisions. And everywhere in our lives; after all, sensing is the basis of many Buddhist practices and the means to perceive the true nature of reality.
It is the hard way; in a world that constantly wants everything faster, we are under constant pressure to cut corners, and observation often gets the first cut in our process. But we have to strategize to fit it in, because it is the only way to innovate and make things that help people; not to mention ensuring we are solving the right problem in the first place.
Where can people find you?
You can find me on Twitter @sandblasta
