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

The meaning we intend to communicate doesn't matter if it makes no sense, or the wrong sense, to the people we want to reach.

The first step to taming any mess is to shine a light on it so you can outline its edges and depths.

Most importantly perhaps, we realize that for the first time ever, we have easy access to other people's experiences to help us decide if something is worth experiencing at all.

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?

Who's most important to serve? What words might make them defensive? What words might put them at ease? How open are they to change? How will this affect their lives? How does the current state of things look to them? Is that good or bad?

Current users: People who interact with whatever you're making. Potential users: People you hope to reach. Stakeholders: People who care about the outcome of what you're making. Competitors: People who share your current or potential users. Distractors: People that could take attention away from your intent.

What are you trying to change? What is your vision for the future? What is within your abilities? What do you know about the quality of what exists today? What further research will help you understand it? What has been done before? What can you learn from those experiences? What is the market and competition like? Has anyone succeeded or failed at

How could we communicate our message? How much time and effort will it take? How could the solution look and feel? How will this be produced? How will this be maintained? How will this be measured? How will we know if we've succeeded?

Practicing information architecture means exhibiting the courage to push past the edges of your current reality. It means asking questions that inspire change. It takes honesty and confidence in other people.

Scope is your clearly stated purpose for the diagram.