IAC23
Information is not a thing. It’s a resource. Information is somewhat useful when we consume it. That’s reading a book, scanning social media, or listening to a podcast. But information is vastly more useful when we break it down, mix it together, and transform it into something else. That’s how patterns are revealed. That’s how problems get solved. That’s how understanding develops.
It’s also how we generate insights—that revelatory moment when the unclear and uncertain and out-of-reach suddenly collapses into clarity. Aha! Eureka!
This talk explores the way our modern information ecosystem—where information is pervasive, everything is connected, and the world is bristling with computation—can unlock new approaches to generating insight. How might we harness this to construct an epiphany engine? And what does it mean for information architects in a world where everyone is doing IA for themselves?
Karl Fast studies what it means to think well in a world jam-packed with information. He holds a PhD in information science, was a Professor of UX Design at Kent State University, and is co-author of “Figure it Out: Getting from Information to Understanding.” Karl has worked in information architecture and user experience since the earliest days of the web.