SIGIA-L Mail Archives: SIGIA-L: a Unified Web Dev Business Mode
SIGIA-L: a Unified Web Dev Business Model, PLEASE!
From: Robert Dornbush (RobertD_at_idapta.com)
Date: Mon Jan 29 2001 - 15:28:12 EST
I certainly feel that more than enough has already been said on the "You
people are ruining the web!" thread; however, it has touched me to the core
of my IA soul, and I find it necessary to add some concise commentary to the
mix. Let me say that George Olsen's commentary was both thoughtful and
provocative; I found it stimulating, but I was not always in agreement with
George's points. I found that I (with my 3+ years of IA experience and 8
years of IT experience in general) have much more in common with Tal
Herman's point of view, and so I reiterate-
In His "The Curse of a Maturing Industry" posting Tal Wrote:
>Scott Jason Cohen certainly seems to have stirred up a hornets nest in our
>corner of the information architecture world. We all rush to the defend our
>role(s) in the web development process. The heart of the article as I see
>it, however, is not really an attack on information architects. Rather,
>information architecture is a straw man for antipathy towards a fundamental
>shift that has taken place in the Internet development business over the
>past two years.
>I remember when I first started in this business in 1995. I used to design
>entire sites myself. My clients were basically completely clueless when it
>came to the Web and they relied upon my judgment in all things
>Internet-related. They told me they wanted a website and I built them one.
>I did all of the graphic design, site navigation, project management,
>arranged the hosting, etc. I was unschooled in branding, information
>design, graphic design or anything else. But it was a lot of fun. I
>experimented with things and did some interesting work. As the sites grew
>more complex and the clients more demanding, I was forced to accept the
fact
>that I was a decent production artist but no graphic designer and I looked
>for a creative role I was more suited to play in the process. That's how I
>ended up being an information architect. People more talented in multiple
>roles than me were able to continue being all things to a project until
much
>later in the maturation of the Internet as a commercial venue.
>The time when that was possible is now nearly past us.
I believe that Cohen's rally cry is that "the thrill is gone," and I'll get
back to this point in a moment; but first, allow me to briefly paint you a
picture of my development as an IA.
I too come from a background where when I started working on software design
for the web (way back in 1994), web developers tended to do everything from
graphic design to HTML coding. I started in the graphic design end of
things, focused on pushing pixels in Photoshop (and then dithering them down
in DeBabelizer).
I was schooled in the marketing driven (ad agency) concepts of branding and
corporate identity. As time went on I got involved in "the CD-Rom wave"
designing interactive CD titles and Kiosks; and in was in that fun-filled
time of "interaction design" that I began to cut my teeth on the IA concepts
of flowcharts, use cases, taxonomies, and wireframes (page maps). For
several years I struggled with dreams of being an omnipotent "art director,"
only to discover that graphic designers were under-respected, underpaid, and
(unfortunately often) expendable. It was (and still is) an all too
competitive market place for graphic designers whose supply far outnumbers
their demand - resulting in a cut-throat niche within a cut-throat (IT)
business. I slowly began to realize that I should capitalize on my
technical skills - combined with my "eye for design" - and my sense of form
& functionality - to move on to greener pastures - the field of IA.
I believe IA is a field which demands creativity. I believe that software
development is a field which demands synergistic collaboration. I know that
Nielsen is a genius; and yet, I also believe that a visually attractive
presentation layer is a thing of value. Is it true that page download and
response times should be kept low? YES! Is it true that the ideal
navigation & layout combination is a list of headlines (surrounded by lots
of white space) that link to full feature articles nested elsewhere? Not
necessarily. Is it true that all animations and visual gimmicks are evil?
NOT HARDLY!!!
*Back to my main point* about - Cohen's "the thrill is gone," rally cry -
The days when 'ad agency like' web development shops made up site design as
they went along are definitely gone! If that means that certain graphic
designers can no longer have fun developing sites, then I am truly sorry for
them. BUT - I have spent all too much time on the IA side of jobs where the
Graphic Designer's presentation of three choices of color glossy comps (one
of which the client falls in love with) drives the architecture of site (by
de facto the IA will follow the navigation cats & sub-cats put forth in the
loveable color glossy comps). - "Another case of American Blind Justice?;"
perhaps, but correcting this ineffective business model almost certainly
must mean a lot less control, a little less creativity, and depressing lack
of "fun" for many of the creative types who grew up on the one guy does all,
webmaster / webmistress, or "make it up as we go along" web development
business model.
The Ad Agency Model Is Out!!!
enter the collaborative software development model where even (god forbid!)
programming gets a fair slice of the creativity pie. In defense of Cohen, I
have worked with those anal IA types who believe that all good usability is
based on some rulebook, some formula, some [Bob Vila's guide to home repair]
do it yourselfer's handbook of good web site architecture. I think that, as
someone pointed out, those are the 'less sophisticated' IA's who may get
better with experience [or may, a la the Peter Principle, have been promoted
to a position for which they are incompetent].
Robert E. Dornbush, Jr.
Information Architect, Advanced Technology Group
idapta, inc.
Suite 1700, Promenade II
1230 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30309-3591
direct 404-214-3710
mobile 678-488-0573
e-mail r2d2_at_idapta.com
www.idapta.com
Idapta - Where eMarkets are Going (TM)
Robert E. Dornbush, Jr.
Information Architect, Advanced Technology Group
idapta, inc.
Suite 1700, Promenade II
1230 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30309-3591
direct 404-214-3710
mobile 678-488-0573
e-mail r2d2_at_idapta.com
www.idapta.com
Idapta - Where eMarkets are Going (TM)
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