IAC23
Short talks from Noreen Whysel, Atsushi Hasegawa, Ph.D., and Mike White
Mapping the Edges of Our Discipline, Noreen Whysel
Join Noreen as she shares how being curious and exploring the edges of our discipline can help us stay resilient in times of uncertainty. As the job market shifts, it’s natural to feel apprehensive, but by feeling our way to the places where IA connects with other disciplines, we can discover fresh ideas, emerging trends, and untapped opportunities. Noreen will map out a path to help you focus your curiosity to help you navigate through change with confidence. Don’t miss this uplifting lightning talk that will inspire you to stay positive, stay curious, and stay resilient!
IA as a Boundary Object, Atsushi Hasegawa, Ph.D.
IA, as “design for understanding,” is needed in many places in our digitalized society. However, IA is recognized as required as a specification of a created artifact.
However, when IA is viewed not only as a deliverable but also as a process to be considered, the process in which teams collaborate toward the deliverable to be created can find its value.
In this session, using the concept of boundary objects proposed by Star et al., we will introduce the concept of using IA as a means of collaboration, not just as a deliverable, and discuss its potential.
Diagrams for Two Appetites, Mike White
Spaghetti Diagrams, Lasagna Models. As IAs we look at our projects and at the world through different levels of abstraction. When faced with complicated systems we can make sense of them by documenting the minutiae, or sometimes by simplifying things into tidy relationships. Join Mike for a fresh roll through the messy and organized ways we visualize things. Spoiler warning: it’s okay to order spaghetti and lasagna.
Noreen is a Brooklyn-based teacher and researcher with over 25 years of experience in the field of IA and standards development. She teaches UX design at CUNY City Tech’s BFA program. Her recent, published work with Internet Safety Labs, Kantara Initiative, and the Information Architecture Gateway helps scientists, policymakers and engineers build safe, accessible and inclusive technologies. At Decision Fish, she and her husband Brett provide consulting, mentoring and research services to startups and non-profits and host a monthly Behavioral Economics NYC meetup. Noreen is an avid gardener and practices daily mindfulness meditation with Brett and her cat Luna.
He founded and heads the Tokyo-based design firm, Concent, in 2002 and has been a professor at the Institute of Innovation at Musashino Art University since 2019. As an information architect, he explores design for understanding and democratization of design, with a focus on social innovation. Recently, he has been investigating the potential for “understanding through design”. In the book “Advances in Information Architecture,” he authored “Information Architecture Do(道),” which discusses Japanese culture and information architecture.
Mike is a consultant with The Understanding Group. He helps nonprofits, Fortune 100s, retailers, and other clients surface their assumptions and see their world with clarity. He enjoys helping them weigh customer and internal perspectives as they align their digital tools and product strategy with their business goals.
Mike has a decade of experience in the specialty food industry as a buyer, trainer, manager, and cheesemonger. Focusing on co-worker and customer well being led him to concepts like human-centered design, UX research, and ultimately to his current work as an IA.
He is a first-time IAC presenter and second-time attendee. You might enjoy chatting with him about research methods, the joys of facilitation, finding clarity in complex organizations, science fiction novels, your favorite recipes, and NOLA dining recommendations.