Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites

1.3. Explaining IA to Others

One of the most frustrating things about being an information architect is the fact that most of your family members and neighbors will never have a clue what you do. The more you try to explain it, the more confused or bored they become. Their eyes glaze over. They nod politely. Then comes the desperate attempt to change the subject. "Hey, speaking of information architecture, did you hear tomorrow's weather report?"

Friends and relatives aren't the only tough audience. Sometimes you have to sell the concept to colleagues, clients, or managers. Each audience presents its own set of challenges. There's no magic bullet, but it's helpful to be prepared with an "elevator pitch" and an analogy suited to your particular audience.

The elevator pitch explains what you do in a sentence or two of plain language. If you can combine an analogy that resonates with your audience, even better!

Here are a few approaches to try out:

• "I'm an information architect. I organize huge amounts of information on big web sites and intranets so that people can actually find what they're looking for. Think of me as an Internet librarian."

• "I'm an information architect. I help my company by making it easy for customers to find our products on our web site. I'm a kind of online merchandiser. I apply one-to-one marketing concepts on the Internet."

• "I'm an information architect. I'm the one who takes on that information overload problem that everyone's been complaining about lately."

Sometimes we're too close to what we do. That's when it's a good idea to call for help. Ask someone who's familiar with you and your job to describe what you do in one or two sentences. Often you'll be amazed by how well they nail it, and grateful for their clarity and brevity.