Reframing Information Architecture

A Round Table Workshop at the Information Architecture Summit 2013
Wednesday, April 3 2013
Baltimore, Maryland (USA)
Register: http://2013.iasummit.org/program/workshops/the-amazing-academics-practitioners-round-table/

Technological, economic, social, and cultural elements of change have thoroughly transformed the scenario in which information architecture operated in the late 1990s, and a reframing is necessary to move the conversation forward, consolidate intuitions into discipline, and help establish a common language and grammar for both practice and research in the field.

Goals of the Workshop

The primary goals of the workshop are:

to acknowledge this change;

  • to reframe information architecture and conceptualize its changing role and nature when information permeates digital and physical space, users are producers, and products are increasingly becoming cross-channel or multi-channel services;
  • to identify new directions of research which might advance both the theory and practice of information architecture;
  • to promote the shared understanding of issues, challenges and opportunities among individuals and institutions that participate in the creation and in the study of complex, digital / physical information spaces or environments;
  • to tackle established problems within the field with a multi-disciplinary perspective;
  • to continue bridging research and practice in the field of information architecture.

The workshop welcomes both theoretical reflections and academic perspectives, case study-related best practices and insights from practitioners coming from such diverse backgrounds as information architecture, the liberal arts, architecture, information systems, design theory, library and information science, product design, interaction design, visual and information design, business and marketing, and service design.

The proceedings of the workshop will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Information Architecture, an open-access peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of information architecture (http://journalofia.org/, ISSN 1903-7260) and publishing deals are currently underway with a number of academic publishers for further dissemination, to ensure the widest reach to the conversation and to generate the most value for participants.

The full length of the workshop will also be documented in video and / or audio.

Accepted Speakers

Jorge Arango
"Good Fit" in the Design of Information Environments

Sally Burford
The Practitioners of Web IA

Duane Degler
Dynamic IA: External & Internal Contexts for Reframing

David Fiorito
The Cultural Dimensions of Information Architecture

Andrew Hinton
A Model for Information Environments

Jason Hobbs & Terence Fenn
Composing the "Included Middle"

Keith Instone
Practice and Research

Dan Klyn
Dutch Uncles, Mannerist Ducks and Decorated Sheds

Matthew Nish-Lapidus
A Conversation Starter

Simon Norris
From Structured to Emergent Spaces

David Simons
Complexity Mapping for Cross-channel Experiences

Bogdan Stanciu
The Information Architecture of Existing Environments

Proposals have been double-blind peer reviewed by a group of referees composed of both academics and practitioners with long standing expertise in the field. Reviewing ended March 5 2013. All authors, including rejected authors, have been notified of the results.

Structure of the Workshop

Following up on experiences in previous events, the workshop will be mainly structured as a conversation. Participants will not be required to just “lecture the audience”, ie simply present their papers, but rather workshop leaders will provide a continuous thread for discussion around the themes and questions brought forth in the workshop outline and in individual contributions, and will both allow free interventions and ask participants to introduce relevant concepts and insights from their contributions whenever appropriate.

The reason for this format is the desire avoid the workshop to simply replicate the content of the individual proposal in a social context, and move the conversation one step further, foster the development of novel reflections on the themes being discussed, and allow free-flow, brainstorming-like interactions.

Participating as an auditor

Non-speaking attendance, appealing to researchers, educators or practitioners who might have an interest in the discussion but no formalized contribution to bring bring forward at this point, is welcomed, though limited by the availability of seats (see Registration). Non-speaking attendees will not benefit from publication, nor will they actively participate in the conversation.

Registration

All attendees, both accepted authors and simple auditors, will need to register for the workshop. The nominal fee of $50 to be paid will be used to cover the bare costs of the workshop.

Organizers

Andrea Resmini, University of Borås (andrea.resmini [at] hb [dot] se) & Jönköping International Business School
The Information Architecture Institute
The Journal of Information Architecture