Michelle McDonagh
Senior Information Architect
iXL

1. Define the role of an "Information Architect".

Information Architecture for the internet was at one time thought of as "the site map", which sometimes fell onto the shoulders of the graphic designer or was glommed onto the role of the project manager. The role of Information Architect evolved in this industry when we identified "usability" as a critical success factor in our client's ROI (Return on Investment).

Great Information Architects have diverse backgrounds, interpersonal facilitative skills and just enough "usability" in their blood to be innovative in their thinking about user experiences! The main difference between Information Architecture for the Internet and other media is the intense collaboration that goes on within teams. At iXL, Information Architects 'Fuse' with engineers, designers, authors and strategists to push internet technology while maximizing the intuitiveness and the user-friendliness of a solution.

2. For an entry level IA position, what experience would one need?

Information Architects come from a variety of disciplines, with experience and/or higher degrees in Instructional Design, Creative Design, Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors and/or Software Engineering. Entry level Information Architecture positions require a knowledge of Internet technology, an understanding of information design, experience writing HTML, and interest in: user experience design, usability, storyboarding and human factors.

3. What are the typical challenges one would face in this position?

Information Architects embrace a variety of challenges driven by the needs of our clients. Our clients count on us to innovate, and maximize usability - which is challenging when coupled with their often-aggressive speed-to-market requirements.

Every User Experience that we design is a testable proposition. We are designing innovative solutions and assume that user sophistication is advancing as rapidly as the Internet. As Information Architects we can never be too sure of ourselves and forget to continually validate our assumptions. User testing. User testing. User testing.

The last challenge is that we forget that we have a responsibility to continually educate our clients, challenge them to push technology and embrace the internet revolution. The challenge is to remember that when consulting with Fortune 500 companies, it is easier said than done. Information Architects have to join forces with the other disciplines on our teams and help our clients come up with an iterative solution that will meet their rigorous speed-to-market demands now and are scaleable. The solution needs to be modular for personalization, customization, and easily transferable onto Palm Applications, WebTV, WAP Phones, and other delivery devices that their customers will be using in the future. This is where "Fusion" really pays off for our clients.