Information Architecture Heuristics

Here are the slides from my talk at Interaction 12 in Dublin. If this content resonates with you, feel free to download and use my deck to teach these principles to others (and please drop me a tweet to tell me how it went)

Also, for those interested: I plan to have the matching poster out by IA Summit time. So stay tuned for news on that.

Advice from the Void

“Oh, what a void there is in things.” – Aulus Persius Flaccus

WTF! Wireframe that first!

I was recently asked to give a talk to the students of the Miami Ad School who are spending their semester at Draftfcb. My aim with my hour with them was to explain how user experience planning made it into the agency world and why creatives should care.

Dear dream job, I quit.

“Are you running away from something or towards something?”

Aim to be listened to, not just heard.

“Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived.” – Abraham Lincoln

Design Systems, Not Stuff

“I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s” – William Blake

Make the unclear, clear — or it won’t matter.

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Designing my User Experience Portfolio

Recently there has been some chatter about whether or not you need to have a User Experience portfolio. I believe that you do, in order to show your past value and efforts you need something more than bullets on a resume.

As such, I went into the creation of my latest User Experience portfolio with the following lenses:

1. It has to be clear, short and not boring.
2. It has to be readable by NON User Experience People
3. It has to be representative of my experience but not exhaustive

I hope you enjoy what I came up with.  Eager to get some feedback.

Happy Holid-IAs, CYA 2010

It has been an epic-double-rainbow kind of year for the UX planning team at Draftfcb. We have completed over 40 projects for 25+ brands. We have had the privilege of working on some of the most exciting and interesting projects within a large global agency. Some of them never see the light of day, but I find that the constant pitch keeps me on my toes and if nothing else keeps me from becoming too attached to my work.

Reflecting on this past year, I think the most important thing to note is that UX planning has significantly affected the culture of a 1400 person agency to include User Experience principles as part of their core values. It has been an experience of a lifetime to have an opportunity to watch, learn, grow, think and mold this new agency role. And when going through a process like this, it is best to do it surrounded by people cheering you on.

At Draftfcb, every day is like a marathon – complete with the people screaming your name and throwing yellow Gatorade in your face. In a good way, I swear.

The outlook for UX planning at Draftfcb for 2010 has me literally pacing with excitement. Lots more work actually getting produced, more transparency into our process and of course (many) new additions to the team — the first of whom I am dying to introduce you to.

Till then, Happy Holid-IAs – Here’s to a productive and Happy 2011.

Design with, not for.

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. – Henry Ford