Architected.info is a web site dedicated to information architecture, focusing on transformation and understanding. We focus on these categories through the lens of organizational dynamics, looking at people, practices, and relationships.

What is Information Architecture?

We take a slightly different view of information architecture from what other people might be saying. Frequently, when one sees the term information architecture it is used in a very limited way, focusing on interaction design, usability, and web development. While these are an important part of the world of architected information, we would repectfully submit that they are only a small part of the overall picture.

To paraphrase a wikipedia entry, we believe that information architecture is the art and science of delivering useful information to users, from start to finish. This is an interdisciplinary process, which covers many different areas, including:

• Capture
• Storage
• Organization
• Transformation
• Standardization
• Calculation
• Delivery
• Presentation
• Quality

Why is Your Definition Different From Others?

We believe that the current use of the term information architecture would be better called “information design”, as it can be likened more to interior design. Then again, a different point of view might call other parts of information architecture something like “data engineering”, as it is more technical than aesthetic. Fair point, but a misguided one. Usability has no more of a claim to be the whole of information architecture than storage has to be the whole of the information life cycle.

However, we believe that an information architect must take a holistic view of information, and must begin looking at the entire picture of information use, from the point of view of the consumer and the provider. Normally these views are divided into front-end and back-end categories and remain separate throughout development and delivery. We believe that there is a great value in bridging this gap.

Besides, it is our web site and we can write whatever we feel like …