How to Make Sense of Any Mess: Information Architecture for Everybody

But to make sense of real-world problems, you need to understand how users, channels, and context relate to each other.

What do people need to understand? What are the edges of the map or diagram? What are you not mapping or diagramming? Where will other people see this map or diagram (e.g., on a wall, in a presentation, on paper)?

Language is any system of communication that exists to establish shared meaning.

As users, our context is the situation we're in, including where we are, what we're trying to do, how we're feeling, and anything else that shapes our experience. Our context is always unique to us and can't be relied upon to hold steady.

What we remove is as important as what we add. It isn't just the ideas that get the work done.

To start with why, ask yourself: Why does this work need to be done? Why is change needed? Why do those changes matter? Why should other people care? Why hasn't this been tackled correctly? Why will this time be different?

Maybe we fear light being shined our way. Confronting your fears and knowing what is real is an important part of making sense of a mess.

Who are his users and what does he know about them already? How could he find out more? Who are the stakeholders and what does he know about what they are expecting? How does he want people to interpret the work? What content would help that interpretation? What might distract from that interpretation?

To start to identify the mess you're facing, work through these questions: