(5 votes)
Loading ...Less Talking, More Doing
The Information Architect/Interaction Design field is awash in web sites and discussion lists, though the former are (unfortunately) significantly more worthwhile than the latter. The lists are constantly filled with requests for ‘best practices’ around the simplest of interface issues (e.g., “Should I put my text above or to the left of a form field?”), seemingly endless debates on ‘what is IA?’ and, most recently, an impressively daft call—based solely on anecdotal evidence—for IAs to pursue accreditation. It is enough to make you ‘want to tear out (your) eyeballs,’ as one of my coworkers recently put it.
On the rare occasions that someone does offer up a solution they created for a project, responses typically range from “It’s not that great” to “How dare you suggest that’s the right answer for all users!” It makes for a nice distraction on a slow work day but the problem is that all the arguing is getting us nowhere. Debates only serve to pull IAs away from the real work to be done: improving customer experience online.
My theory is that all of this stems ultimately from a need for reassurance coupled with a crippling fear of being wrong and blended with a belief that there exists a set of ‘right’ answers out there, waiting to be found. Like the unicorn, basselope and ever-elusive snipe, this is a myth too long perpetuated.
So, fellow architects of information and designers of interaction, I have a modest proposal for you: unsubscribe. Leave the lists, now, today, this hour, this minute—and don’t look back. Stop worrying about what Joe IA in Ohio is doing with his forms for his customers and come up with solutions that are right for your customers—be willing to fail and to learn from that failure. Do it better next time. Stop focusing on your needs and put that energy toward the needs of your customers.
If you work alone and need a mentor, visit the sites for AIFIA or IxDA and ask about mentoring programs. Go to meet ups. Find groups on Facebook. Send out a friendly email to an IA blogger you admire and ask them for advice. Better yet: write a blog of your own! Build a network of peers and advisors—but do it outside the cacophony of the field’s discussion lists. Present a white paper or demo a prototype at a conference. Develop your own point of view on hot topics in the field and don’t be afraid to disagree with popular opinion. Just always, always do what’s best for your customers.
Learn by doing, not by talking.
“The lists are constantly filled with requests for ‘best practices’ around the simplest of interface issues (e.g., “Should I put my text above or to the left of a form field?”), seemingly endless debates on ‘what is IA?’ and, most recently, an impressively daft call—based solely on anecdotal evidence—for IAs to pursue accreditation.”
Yes! Let’s cut ourselves off from everyone else, making it harder to understand us and the goals we pursue.
It is, as your coworker said, enough to make me want to tear out my eyeballs.
In my head, after reading this post, the crowd went wild and started chunking roses at you.
Across blogging communities, it’s a fine line between collaborative and inspirational conversation and a stagnating echo-chamber.
A marketer friend of mine recently said to me:
“Since subscribing to blogs and following ‘likeminded’ Twitters, my job satisfaction has down because I can’t reconcile all these voices say I should be doing with what my customers want and need me to be doing.”
Thanks for the post, Gabby.
Amen.
“The lists are constantly filled with requests for ‘best practices’…”
While there are certainly some standards that most IA/UX folks adhere to, what we do tends to be so individualized–based on the USERS that we are designing for–that best practices become moot.
How can someone suggest a “best practice” without a fairly detailed understanding of the end user? A “best practice” on my project may contradict what the users expect and need on yours.
In the end, it’s not about pleasing your colleagues. All that really matters is whether the users whom you designed the experience for find it useful and valuable.
So, you’re suggesting we unsubscribe to all the mailing lists, but remain subscribed to this blog? How are the two not the same evil by your argument, aside from the fact that this blog is a uni-directional soapbox and a mailing list is a give-and-take exchange of ideas…?
If you work alone and need a mentor, visit the sites for AIFIA…
Actually, it’s been the IA Institute (http://iainstitute.org) for a while now.
I think the lists serve an important function as the public square of these communities. They’re mostly open, they’re lightly moderated, and you’re free to ask dumb questions (as I have many times) and have debates.
That said, I get frustrated with the discussions about accreditation and definitions in the same way you do. But the people that talk about these issues aren’t trolling (usually); they have a legitimate concern about the subject and the profession. It might be flogging a long-dead horse to me (and probably to you) but it’s a new and vital subject to them.
IAs aren’t born knowing that accreditation is pointless and the we collectively decided to stop “defining the damn thing” three years. So they ask–and that’s the way it goes in a public forum.
Instead of retreating from these forums, maybe the solution is to be more active and participate in the ways you think are valuable. What’s that saying–”be the change you want to see in the world”? I think that’s as applicable to discussion lists as anywhere else. (And I say this as an active lurker on both the IAI and IxDA lists.)
Hey Cam
I’d argue that having similar discussions with the same people is a lot cutting yourself off, anyways. I too worry that a lot of IA discussions can become insular and limited in their scope and recently, I’ve discussions with business analysts, account planners, designers (of all ilks) and researchers more fruitful. In my case, “unsubscribing” became an issue of giving up something to get something else ….
And Cynthia - what about comments? ;=)
Dave
Hmm. This is how land-grabbers and peddlers of books, seminars, papers, etc., operate. It’s their “business model” if you will: constant meme generation, chatter and self-promo. So yes, ignoring them is the only cure.
I would add one more frustration to this.. discussions around that apple does not follow THE process.. I nearly feel I should have written this post… I am not unsubscribing in the ‘hope’ … but whole heartedly agree with your view.
I also find that these discussions isolate the thought process to just one way of thinking (ironically) which is internal to the community, while outside world is what we need to connect most with..
- AJ
Hi everyone — just wanted to check in. I’m home sick these past few days but wanted to say thanks for responding to the post.
Cam Beck: Not cut off from *everyone*, mind you–the less time we spend chattering amongst ourselves (and necessarily running in circles, chasing our tails) the more time we can spend talking to customers–those people for whom we’re problem solving.
What we do is more art than science–if we concentrate too much on finding the ‘right’ answer amongst ourselves to the detriment of talking to and listening to customers, we fail them.
Excellent post, Gabby.
When designers become laser focused on finding the silver bullet for something like text field design they miss the opportunity to discover new creative, perhaps better, solutions.
As you state above, “doing” is a good way to get to a solution. Also “doing + testing”, especially for interactive elements like forms, is great. And, similar to your proposal to “stop worrying what Joe IA is doing” we shouldn’t think that formalized usability tests are the only way. Try guerilla testing. There are people sitting right next to us that provide perfectly good test cases for our designs.
Thanks for the spark!
Lindsay
Righteous and right on. Great post, Gabby.