Comments on From Data to Wisdom: An Interview with Paco Underhill

Robert Stark — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:47 GMT

Thanks for this great interview. I would like to ask you to explain more in detail what you mean by “The first is the issue of visual acuity, which is that our visual language is evolving faster than our written and spoken word. The way we process symbols, the way we deconstruct what we see, is marching faster than the words we write, and what we say to one another. ”. I’m a writer, so that interests me very much. Thanks.

Arlene Sahraie — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:46 GMT

Great piece! I plan to share it with the 73 public libraries in our consortium (www.bccls.org). I hope when Mr. Underhill concludes his studies on public libraries, the news is good. I hope he finds we are doing lots of things right. I fear that this may not be the case. In any event, I hope that his findings are widely disseminated to the library community.

CB Whittemore — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:45 GMT

What a great article! I’ve just referred to it in my latest post on http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com.

Jeff Parks — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:20:25 GMT

I also use the pyramid analogy in speaking with clients. However, I invert the pyramid with Data being at the top or widest portion of the pyramid – showing clients that most of what they have is Data – the noise the universe creates – and the role I play as an Information Architect is to help them make sense of all of that “noise” by organizing all of the Data into logical structures of Information. I also add another layer between Intelligence (I use the term “Knowledge” instead of “Intelligence”) and Wisdom, and that’s Experience. As adults we learn through Experiences. These unique and shared experiences allow us to make Wise choices in our personal and professional lives. I think it was Einstein who said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results!” We can’t possibly get to Wisdom without sharing and learning from our own and others’ Experiences.

Liz Danzico — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:19:35 GMT

Great to hear Michael! There are three or four more in the queue with similar thought leaders—people just outside the interaction design purview. You should see them in the next few issues.

Michael Beavers — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:41 GMT

Articles like this is one of the reasons why I love B&A! Thanks for conducting interdisciplinary interviews. Retail/Environmental design, product design, physical space architecture, airport design, and urban planning all have inspriational bearing on, and teachings for, our work with interfaces and their structural underpinnings. More, please.