Professionalism
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HTML Wireframes and Prototypes: All Gain and No Pain
by Julie Stanford | [25 comments]
Mention the use of HTML for wireframing or prototyping, and some information architects and interaction designers frantically look for the nearest exit. In some circles, HTML has acquired the reputation of being a time-consuming, difficult undertaking best left to developers. This is very far from the truth. more...
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Understanding Organizational Stakeholders for Design Success
by Jonathan Boutelle | [6 comments]
User-centered design professionals pay special emphasis to one type of stakeholder—the users of the system—arguing that user experience needs to be carefully crafted to satisfy user needs. While understanding user needs and goals is certainly necessary, it is often not sufficient for producing a successful design. more...
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Why Is That Thing Beeping? A Sound Design Primer
by Max Lord | [4 comments]
We spend a lot of time talking about the visual identity of a project, but who thinks about its audible identity? Do we need to consider it at all? By learning to consider audio as an important design parameter, we just might learn something... more...
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Cognitive Psychology & IA: From Theory to Practice
by Jason Withrow | [9 comments]
What do cognitive psychology and information architecture have in common? Actually there is a good deal of common ground between the two disciplines. Certainly, having a background in cognitive psychology supports the practice of information architecture, and it is precisely those interconnections and support that will be explored. more...
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Printing the Web
by James Kalbach | [4 comments]
Despite predictions to the contrary, it doesn't seem that the advent of networked information sharing has reduced human consumption of paper. In fact, given the amount of printouts modern offices and homes produce, one is inclined to say that even MORE paper is generated today than ever before. more...
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Talent Isn’t Everything
by Chanpory Rith | [14 comments]
To succeed as a creative professional, you need more than talent. Chanpory Rith offers us a list of seven habits that can help put a junior designer's career on the path to success. more...
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Making Knowledge Management Work on your Intranet
by Shiv Singh | [2 comments]
In the information economy, the longevity of an organization is based as much on the sophistication of its knowledge management practices as it is on traditional differentiators such as the strength of its products, the talent of its employees, and its marketplace reputation and partner relationships. Simply speaking, as actionable and insightful information becomes the currency of an organization, there are few other ways to tap into any latent potential lost in the office corridors. more...
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So You Think You Want to be a Manager
by Erin Malone | [14 comments]
Every designer faces a choice at some point in their career — to manage or not to manage. Erin Malone helps you walk through the questions you need to make that choice. more...
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Guiding Principles for Providing “Remember Me” Personalization
by Meg Peters | [6 comments]
Catering to the unique needs of each customer is the dream of any business. Technology can help us get there but we need to know how to please users without intruding their privacy. This article presents a set of guiding principles for personalization design. more...
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Building the UX Dreamteam
by Anthony Colfelt | [36 comments]
Every time you hire someone for your UX team, you make a gut call that their personality and skills are what they seem. Anthony Colfelt looks to arm you with ways to make the hiring decisions that fit the best people into the reality of your business context. more...
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Enterprise Information Architecture: A Semantic and Organizational Foundation
by Tom Reamy | [12 comments]
People disagree on what happens when IAs grow up, but Tom Reamy knows. He offers a foundation for information architecture as it advances, grappling with problems across the enterprise. more...
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Focus on the Student: How to Use Learning Objectives to Improve Learning
by Wendy Cown | [3 comments]
As information architects we all know how important it is to keep the user in mind. The same is true in teaching IA: we must keep the learner in mind. Learning objectives are one tool to help keep your classes focused on the student. They will also help you develop the syllabus, lesson plans, and assessment methods. more...
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Examining the Role of De Facto Standards on the Web
by Heidi Adkisson | [30 comments]
Just what are the design practices on the web that have the highest frequency? And are there design practices that all (or nearly all) sites employ? more...
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Succeeding at IA in the enterprise
by James Robertson | [12 comments]
The enterprise environment offers unique challenges for information architects. In this context, we need to develop skills to help us understand and model how organizations deal with information. more...
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Pioneering a User Experience (UX) Process
by B&A Staff and Amy Hillman | [23 comments]
Though a possibly rewarding journey, starting a UX process can be a nightmare if approached from the wrong angle. Initiating a culture-shift, overhauling existing processes, evangelizing, strategizing, and educating is an enormous undertaking. Amy Hillman offers her perspective on how to build a UX process, from the ground up. more...
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Crafting a User Experience Curriculum
by Jason Withrow | [3 comments]
It isn't often that one has the opportunity to create a course about user experience, let alone an entire sequence of user experience courses. Jason Withrow's opportunity forced him to examine his perceptions of the user experience industry. more...
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The Trouble With Web 2.0
by Alexander Wilms | [25 comments]
Will Web 2.0 technology and design patterns ever work inside large enterprises? They are jumping on the hype, announcing their own implementation projects. Alexander Wilms looks in-depth at some issues and challenges corporations might face. more...
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Using Technical Communication Skills in User Experience
by Theresa Putkey | [8 comments]
Sometimes User Experience Design is chosen; sometimes it is thrust upon us. Theresa explains how technical communications was a natural path to a career in design. more...
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Lost in Translation: IA Challenges in Distributing Digital Audio
by Dan Brown | [5 comments]
Network audio devices provide a convenient way to play digital audio through your home stereo. How do they provide remote access to your music library, given the UI limitations of the first generation of devices? This looks like a job for an information architect. more...
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Doing Today's Job with Yesterday's Tools
by Patrick Dubroy | [18 comments]
Where is the software that can help us cope with the massive amounts of information that we deal with on a daily basis? Patrick Dubroy points out the problems with current personal information management , and makes suggestions about how to improve the situation. more...