The sixth class of a 15 week course in Information Architecture taught at Parsons, the New School for Design. Topics include: Addressing "What now?", Creating an Elevator Pitch to further clarify audience and purpose prior to feature level discussions.

1. Class 6:
Creating Clarity,
Establishing truth
Instructor: Abby Covert

2. Last Class we...
2

3. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
2

4. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
2

5. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
• Introduced and distinguished the concepts of
‘requirement’ and ‘feature’
2

6. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
• Introduced and distinguished the concepts of
‘requirement’ and ‘feature’
• Worked on group work:
2

7. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
• Introduced and distinguished the concepts of
‘requirement’ and ‘feature’
• Worked on group work:
– Finishing our continuums
2

8. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
• Introduced and distinguished the concepts of
‘requirement’ and ‘feature’
• Worked on group work:
– Finishing our continuums
– Attaching measurement to each continuum
2

9. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
• Introduced and distinguished the concepts of
‘requirement’ and ‘feature’
• Worked on group work:
– Finishing our continuums
– Attaching measurement to each continuum
– Identifying the requirements to reach each goal
2

10. Last Class we...
• Learned how to attach measurement to our directional
goals
• Discussed the why, the what and the how
• Introduced and distinguished the concepts of
‘requirement’ and ‘feature’
• Worked on group work:
– Finishing our continuums
– Attaching measurement to each continuum
– Identifying the requirements to reach each goal
– Starting a list of features and ideas of how to
accomplish those requirements
2

11. I am an
information
architect
I intend to because I believe
make the unclear clear everything is complex
put the what architecture frames
before the how problems, design solves
them
facilitate understanding understanding is
organize meaning, always good but it is
create clarity and equally important to
establish truth not understand
support goals, makers clarity is a
and users prerequisite of truth
by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn
3

12. I am an
information
architect
I intend to because I believe
make the unclear clear everything is complex
put the what architecture frames
before the how problems, design solves
them
facilitate understanding understanding is
organize meaning, always good but it is
create clarity and equally important to
establish truth not understand
support goals, makers clarity is a
and users prerequisite of truth
by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn
3

13. Ok, let’s put it all out there
4

14. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
4

15. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
– What have you disagreed on most?
4

16. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
– What have you disagreed on most?
– Knowing what you know now, what would you
do next?
4

17. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
– What have you disagreed on most?
– Knowing what you know now, what would you
do next?
• Each team will have 5 minutes to update us on
their progress.
4

18. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
– What have you disagreed on most?
– Knowing what you know now, what would you
do next?
• Each team will have 5 minutes to update us on
their progress.
• Then each team member will tell us their:
4

19. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
– What have you disagreed on most?
– Knowing what you know now, what would you
do next?
• Each team will have 5 minutes to update us on
their progress.
• Then each team member will tell us their:
– Biggest Question
4

20. Ok, let’s put it all out there
– What is the most interesting thing you have
talked about? Figured out? Asked?
– What have you disagreed on most?
– Knowing what you know now, what would you
do next?
• Each team will have 5 minutes to update us on
their progress.
• Then each team member will tell us their:
– Biggest Question
– Biggest Discovery
4

21. Things are not very
clear just yet right?
5

22. What do you still need to know?
• Do users agree with the why and what?
• How do users react to the proposed how?
• Do stakeholders agree on the why and what?
• Do makers understand the why, what & how?
• Can makers make the how?
• How long does the how take to make?
6

23. Question: Can you
clearly describe what
you are trying to do
on your project?
7

24. Better said:
• If you had 10 floors to
travel in an elevator with
someone and they asked
about this project, what
would you say?
8

25. Workshop!
9

26. What is A good Pitch
• to make a clear statement
of who you are working for,
what you are trying to
accomplish and why
10

27. Pitch Workshop
• Step 1: Spend 10 minutes writing ideas for your • Example Format: For (target customer)
pitch individually who has (customer need), (project name)
is a (market category) that (one key
– How will you think of the product or service benefit). Unlike (competition), the product
that is within the space that you are working (unique differentiator). Because we believe
in? (hypothesis)
– What are the words that are right to
describe the effect you want to have?
• Example: For people who want to
– How are your goals considered in this remember and share images they like
statement? online, Pinterest is a social bookmarking
tool. Unlike other list-based bookmarking
• Step 2: Spend 25 minutes agreeing on the pitch
tools, Pinterest’s unique photo-browsing
wording that you can all live with
experience replicates a physical pin board.
• Step 3: Spend 15 min mapping your individual Because we believe people collect images
feature ideas. Then consider the pitch. Which differently than links to other forms of
contribute directly to the pitch? Which are content.
extemporaneous?
• Step 4: Present your pitch and feature ideas to
the class
11

28. Let’s say that in seven
weeks you will stand
in front of the new
school big wigs to
describe the problem
you see and propose
the efforts you want
to undertake to design
a solution
12

29. How we
will get
there
13

30. How we (Today) A solid elevator pitch
will get (Last Class) A list of directional Goals
(Last Class) A system by which
there measurement will be used to report
progress on the goals
(Today) A list of the requirements and
potential features for the solution that
you have identified thus far
(Homework) A research plan that will
help you to confirm and iterate on your
ideas and understanding
(Next Class’s Topic) A heuristic
evaluation of what is in place currently
(10/29 - 11/5) Initial Findings from the
research you could do without support
(11/12 - final Project) A roadmap of how
you propose to accomplish this over time
13

31. Group Homework
• Finish your elevator pitch
• Cut down and consolidate your feature list - make sure each
feature is related to your elevator pitch and goals
• Organize your efforts so you have a research plan to propose by
next class.
– Who do you need to talk to?
• What method will you use to talk to them? (Interview,
survey, user test etc)
• Do you have access to them?
• What do you need to talk to them about? Please provide
the questions.
• What decisions will they help you make?
– What data do you need to find?
14

32. Questions?
CovertA@newschool.edu
@ Abby_The_IA
www.Abbytheia.com