About the Information Architecture Institute

The Information Architecture Institute is a 501(c)6 professional organization, operated by a dedicated, multi-national group of people. Volunteering our own resources, we aspire to build bridges to related disciplines and organizations. We invite you to join us in advancing the state of information architecture through research, education, advocacy and community service.

We live in exciting times. As the information age rolls forward, our businesses, markets and societies are being transformed into adaptive, connected networks. The Internet of today only hints at the ubiquitous communication infrastructure of tomorrow. The construction of this brave new world requires a new kind of architecture, focused on digital structures of information and software rather than physical structures of bricks and mortar. As we spend more time working and playing in these shared information spaces, people will need and demand better search, navigation and collaboration systems.

We are working hard to build an international membership that connects people with diverse languages, cultures and perspectives. So far, we have over 2000 members from 60 countries. Our Board of Directors and Board of Advisors are comprised of individuals from six continents. Our Translations Initiative and Local Group Program serves to promote and extend our services to all corners of the world.

Read our Annual Report (2007-2008) (PDF) to find out what we accomplished in our sixth year of operation.

Read our latest Letter from the Board of Directors for up to date news on the Institute's activity.

Spotlight on our People

Andrew Hinton

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Andrew Hinton photo

For 18 years now Andrew has worked as a designer, instructor, writer or consultant of various stripes. But he didn't discover the nascent IA community until 1999, and it was a revelation: people figuring out what happens "between the pages" of the Web, and who understood that a new kind of space needed a new kind of architecture. Since then, he's been fortunate to continue being a part of the community, and seeing IA mature and grow as a community of practice.

In the past, his clients have been small and large, including Fortune 500s such as American Express, Shaw, Wachovia and Kimberly-Clark. For the past 5 years, his day job has been as a Senior IA in Vanguard's User Experience Group.

Andrew holds a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Literature and an MFA in Writing. He is a regular speaker at conferences like the IA Summit, and sometimes writes for publications like Boxes & Arrows. His current obsessions include Communities of Practice, social design factors, what games teach us about design, and the meaning of context in digital spaces.

As a co-founder of the Institute, Andrew was honored to serve on the 2008 IAI Board of Advisors. You can find out more via his home on the Web at inkblurt.com.

Spotlight on our Partners

PARTNER

Rosenfeld Media publishes short, practical, and useful books and webinars on user experience design. Their products explain the design and research methods that web professionals need to make informed design decisions. IAI members a discount of 20% off book purchases as well as both live and recorded webinars.