Sessions

In this case study, I’ll dive into the challenges and triumphs of redesigning navigation for a healthcare portal serving 11 million members. But this isn’t just another story about menu designs and sorting cards – it’s an inside look at how information architects can successfully navigate complex organizational dynamics to drive meaningful change.

Through three stories about our navigation initiative, I’ll describe design decisions and political tactics using the framework of fuel and friction. You’ll learn how a “quick win” built the momentum needed for broader changes, why sometimes adding friction to user experiences can improve outcomes, and gain insights from real-world examples about how to balance competing priorities in a product-led organization where every team is incentivized to maximize their feature’s visibility.

You’ll discover practical tactics for:

• Using fuel and friction strategically in your IA practice
• Uncovering the root cause of user findability challenges
• Expanding your influence to better navigate organizational complexity.

Whether you’re an IA working within a product organization, a UX leader managing cross-functional teams, or new to the field and unsure how to handle organizational change, you’ll walk away with actionable insights about using the fuel and friction framework in advancing your organization’s information architecture initiatives.