[IxDA Discuss] Bill Moggridge talk at Ideo tonight

[David Malouf]

> Well, considering that the devices you mention are for information
> retrieval and use, and those devices (especially the phones) are
> notoriously crappy for finding anything, maybe the argument
> makes itself.

I totally agree with Christina that IA is relevant in these cases, but I
would stress not all.

I also think that not all "navigation" is IA driven, but rather behaviorally
driven. Using a CD player (not an MP3 player) which has navigation I would
not call an information space b/c while there is "information in play", it
is more about information design. The navigation is about programming which
is more about behavior of the system and the user accessing that behavior.

A simple bar code scanner that has a single button and a laser light is an
device that requires behavior and captures information, but I wouldn't call
it an information space.

On the other hand, I cannot think of a single IA problem that does not have
a behavioral (IxD problem to it).

To Christina's point though about some IxDs not knowing enough about IA, I
totally agree and visa versa. I have heard luminaries of IA speak about
their problem sets which they claim they have thought deeply about to miss
the contextual behavioral use problems associated with them.

There is much to learn from all sides and if this is indeed a venn diagram
then there are places where our specialities probably offer so much focus
that the other speciality gets a bit blinded. Maybe we should start thinking
of all this as the Korean Yin/Yang equivalent with 3 pieces (right?).
Structure, Behavior, Presentation. The point of any Yin/Yang representation
is that you can never remove one of the components because there is always a
nugget in the center right when you think you don't have it any more.

Hmmm?

Of course we could bring in the old axiom is that it is all just "Design",
but I don't believe in that either. There is too much information around the
different disciplines and I believe (thus my work here) is that each needs
its own focus and then to present that focused education to others both
inside that space and outside that space. I mean where are we without
Business & Technology, right?

Maybe there is a fractal here that zooms in and out along these various
triumphurates (sp?) ... The next one up is Business, Design, Technology.

Anyway, I'm rambling ... It just seems everyone is right, but might be
stating a too focused view of the problem, or pieces that make the others
feel that their view is not being considered.

-- dave