The Informed Life
Jorge Arango
An interview-based show that explores how people organize and design information to get things done.
Epilogue
In this final episode, I reflect on things I learned by producing the show.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/12/29/episode-156-epilogue/Photo by Diego Jimenez on Unsplash.
Peter Morville on Exit Interview, part 2
Peter Morville is a pioneer of information architecture. He co-authored Information Architecture for the World-Wide Web, the classic O’Reilly “polar bear” book on the subject. In our previous conversation, I interviewed Peter about a big change in his life. In this interview, we turn the tables: he interviews me about a big change to this show.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/12/15/episode-155-peter-morville/
Peter Morville on Exit Interview, part 1
Peter Morville is a pioneer of information architecture. He co-authored Information Architecture for the World-Wide Web, the classic O’Reilly “polar bear” book on the subject. This is Peter’s third appearance on the show. I asked him back because I wanted to learn about his decision to retire from IA consulting. This is the first of two conversations with Peter about navigating big changes.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/12/01/episode-154-peter-morville/
Joe Natoli on The UX Team of One
Joe Natoli is a renowned UX design consultant, advisor, and educator. Now, he’s collaborated with Leah Buley on a new edition of her classic book, The User Experience Team of One. That is the subject of our conversation.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/11/17/episode-153-joe-natoli/
Andy Budd on The Growth Equation
Andy Budd co-founded pioneering UX design agency Clearleft. After leading and growing that company for thirteen years, he became an advisor, VC, and coach. He’s now written a book on how early stage startups can benefit from good design. That is the focus of our conversation.See full show notes:https://theinformed.life/2024/11/03/episode-152-andy-budd/
Karen McGrane on Content Management
Karen McGrane describes herself as a “UX multi-hyphenate”: information architect, content strategist, technical communicator, accessibility advocate, and more. She’s co-founder of Autogram, a content management and design system consultancy, and author of two classic books on content strategy. In this conversation, we focus on how AI might affect content management on the web.See full show notes:https://theinformed.life/2024/10/20/episode-151-karen-mcgrane/
Scott Berkun on Why Design is Hard
Scott Berkun is the bestselling author of eight books on design, innovation, remote work, and more. His most recent book, Why Design Is Hard, is the second of a pair on why design makes a difference and how designers can best go about it. That is the focus of today’s conversation.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/10/06/episode-150-scott-berkun/
Tamsen Webster on Communicating Change
Tamsen Webster describes herself as “part message designer, part English-to-English translator, and part magpie.” She is also a consultant and author who helps leaders enact large-scale change. Her latest book, Say What They Can’t Unhear, explains how to drive lasting change through effective communication. That is the focus of our conversation.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/09/22/episode-149-tamsen-webster/
Luc Beaudoin on Hookmark
Dr. Luc Beaudoin is the co-founder and CEO of CogSci Apps, the developers of a brilliant Mac productivity tool called Hookmark. He is also an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and author of two books on using cognitive science to improve productivity.In this conversation, we discuss the origins and philosophy of Hookmark, the concept of ubiquitous linking and how it improves productivity, the importance of deep focus for knowledge work, how to reduce friction in information management
Chris Risdon on Service Design
Chris Risdon is a Senior Staff Designer at eBay. Chris describes himself as an interaction designer that tends to look through a service design lens. Alongside his co-author Patrick Quattlebaum, Chris wrote Orchestrating Experiences, which is an excellent guide to the practice of service design. In this conversation, we unpack service design: what it is, how it benefits organizations, and how it might be changing in light of new technologies like AI.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.lif
Jodi Forlizzi on Designing With AI
Jodi Forlizzi is the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Forlizzi has a distinguished career as a service designer, researcher, design leader, and academic. In this conversation, we discuss the changing role of design in the face of disruptive new technologies such as AI.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/08/11/episode-146-jodi-forlizzi/
Greg Petroff on the State of Design
Greg Petroff is a renowned executive design leader. He’s built and led design teams for companies like GE, Google, Compass, and Cisco. In this conversation, we discuss the state of design and how designers can have more relevance in today’s changing environment.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/07/28/episode-145-greg-petroff/
Colin Eagan and Jeffrey McIntyre on Personalization
My guests today are Colin Eagan and Jeffrey MacIntyre. Although they work for different companies, Colin and Jeffrey share a common focus: how information technologies might offer more personalized experiences. They co-authored an article on the subject for A List Apart and Jeffrey gave an excellent presentation based on that material at this year’s IA Conference, which led to this interview.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/07/14/episode-144-colin-eagan-jeffrey-macintyre/
Harry Max on Prioritization
Harry Max is an executive player coach with a long trajectory in Silicon Valley. Through his consultancy, he helps senior leaders and their teams realize their visions by zeroing in on pragmatic solutions to complex challenges. And on that note, Harry’s written a new book, called Managing Priorities, that teaches leaders how to do just that.You can buy Harry’s book from Rosenfeld Media. Use discount code INFORMED20 for 20% off until July 30, 2024.Disclaimer: I received a copy of Harry’s book fro
Stéphanie Walter on Neurospicy
Stéphanie Walter is a UX researcher and designer based in Luxembourg. She’s prolific in sharing useful information via social media and her newsletter. Recently, she co-founded a new project, called Neurospicy, to bring more awareness to issues of neurodiversity in design. Neurospicy has evolved since we recorded this conversation, but as you’ll hear, organic evolution is part of Stéphanie’s approach.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/06/16/episode-142-stephanie-walter/
Rachel Price on Responsible AI
Rachel Price is a Principal Information Architect at Microsoft and teaches Information Architecture at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle. She was a guest on The Informed Life in 2019, discussing the role of structure in improvisation. Today’s conversation focuses on a subject that’s on a lot of information architects’ minds: how to responsibly design AI-powered systems.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/06/02/episode-141-rachel-price/
Emily Campbell on The Shape of AI
Emily Campbell is a design leader and advisor. She brings thoughtfulness and depth to producing business results through design and helping designers develop their careers as they fulfill that mission. Like me, Emily is deeply interested in AI. She’s developing an emergent pattern language for working with AI, and that is the subject of our conversation.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/05/19/episode-140-emily-campbell/
Chris Aldrich on Cybernetic Communications
Chris Aldrich has the most multi-disciplinary resume I’ve ever seen, with a background that includes biomedics, electrical engineering, entertainment, genetics, theoretical mathematics, and more. Chris describes himself as a modern-day cybernetician, and in this conversation we discuss cybernetics and communications, differences between oral and literary cultures, and indigenous traditions and mnemonics, among many other things.See full show notes at:https://theinformed.life/2024/05/05/episode-1
Dave Gray on Possibilities
Dave Gray describes himself as a possibilitarian. He focuses on helping people and teams realize their creative potential. Dave the author of several influential books, including Liminal Thinking and Gamestorming, which he co-authored with Sunni Brown and James Macanudo. He also founded the pioneering visual thinking company XPLANE. In this conversation, we discuss how to move beyond mental models that constrain us to open up new possibilities.Show notesDave GrayDave Gray - LinkedInThe Connected
Nikki Anderson on Research Impact
Nikki Anderson is an independent user research consultant, instructor, author, and speaker. Nikki uses her background in education and psychology to mentor people and organizations on the value of user research. And now, she’s written a book to help them build up their research operations. That’s the focus of our conversation today.Show notesNikki AndersonImpact: A complete guide to creating a user research practice at your organization by Nikki AndersonUser Research AcademyUser Research Academy
Michael Anton Dila on Oslo for AI
Michael Anton Dila describes himself as a “designer of conversation” and someone with a passion for starting things. Among the things he’s started are ventures in online learning, co-working, and mobile technology. He’s also held several leadership roles in an elite innovation unit in the U.S. Department of Defense. In this conversation, we discuss his latest initiative, Oslo for AI, which seeks to design better processes for governing artificial intelligence.Show notesMichael Anton DilaMichael
Dave Elfving on Gray Area
Dave Elfving is an experience designer and educator. He spent eleven years at apple, where his last role was as Head of Interactive Strategy. These days, he’s my colleague teaching interaction design at the California College of the Arts. He’s also co-chairperson at Gray Area, a San Francisco-based nonprofit interdisciplinary cultural incubator. Gray Area is fostering fascinating work, and I wanted to discuss it with Dave.Show notesDave Elfving - LinkedInaught.ioGray AreaRafael Lozano-HemmerProj
Joey deVilla on Layoffs
Joey deVilla describes himself as an experienced, engaging, accordion-playing, golden-voiced developer advocate looking for a new role. He’s had a long career in the technology space and writes about his experiences in two long-running blogs, The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the Twenty-First Century and Global Nerdy. Recently, Joey became one of the many people in tech who’s lost their job in the last couple of years. That is the subject of our conversation today.Show notes🪗 Joey (Accordion G
Elizabeth McGuane on Design by Definition
Elizabeth McGuane is a UX director at Shopify and the author of Design by Definition, a book about the impact of language in user experience. As you might imagine, that’s a subject I’m keenly interested in, so I was excited to speak with Elizabeth about it.Show notesElizabeth McGuane - LinkedInElizabeth McGuane – MediumDesign by Definition by Elizabeth McGuaneShopifyIntercomEames chairsShow notes include Amazon affiliate links. We get a small commission for purchases made through these links.If
Pierluigi Dalla Rosa on Interactive Environments
Pierluigi Dalla Rosa is an interaction designer at Humane, the makers of the AI Pin. But that isn’t the focus of our conversation today. Instead, we discuss novel computer interfaces in general, and interactive environments in particular. This is a subject that’s near to my heart, as it points to exciting possibilities for future digital experiences.Show notespierdr - Pier’s websitePierluigi Dalla Rosa - LinkedInpier dr (@pierdr) - InstagramIxD Research (@ixdresearch) - InstagramHumaneCalifornia
Nathan Shedroff on Strategy
Nathan Shedroff is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and educator. Like me, he teaches at the graduate interaction design program of the California College of the Arts. This conversation focuses on his new book, A Whole New Strategy, which teaches strategic thinking.Show notesNathan ShedroffDesign Strategy MBA - CCAA Whole New Strategy by Nathan ShedroffHenry MintzbergCharles EamesPorter’s five forces analysisSWOT analysisDouble Diamond (design process model) Regis McKennaAdobe DirectorStephen C
2023 Year in Review
This episode is a compilation of conversations from 2023. It’s not meant as a best-of collection, but an opportunity to highlight some themes that emerged during our conversations throughout the year. The episode is also an experiment, with the themes being curated partly by an AI.Cover photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash.Show notesEpisode 107: Michael Becker on Knowledge WorkEpisode 108: Carrie Hane on Content ModelsEpisode 110: Nicole van der Hoeven on ObsidianEpisode 111: Andy Fitzgerald on
Steve Portigal on Writing, part 2
Steve Portigal is an independent user research consultant. He is the author of Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries. Steve and I both have new books, so we thought it’d be fun to compare notes on writing non-fiction. In this, the second of two episodes on the subject, we focus on the process of writing. If you haven’t done so already, listen to our previous conversation, which focused on our motivations.Show notesSteve PortigalSteve Portigal - LinkedInPortigal ConsultingI
Steve Portigal on Writing, part 1
Steve Portigal is an independent user research consultant. He is the author of Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries. Steve was previously on the show last year, talking about research skills. This conversation is a bit different: both of us have written new books, and we thought it’d be fun to compare notes about the process. We decided to split our conversation into two parts. This episode focuses on the motivations for writing, and the second part will focus on processe
Audrey Crane on Shadow Design
Audrey Crane is the Head of Growth at DesignMap, a product and strategy design firm. She’s also the author of What CEOs Need to Know About Design, a book that helps leaders understand and tap into the power of design in their organizations. In this, Audrey’s second appearance on the show, we focused on how organizations can ensure they’re getting the best design work for their money.Show notesAudrey Crane - LinkedInDesignMapWhat CEOs Need to Know About Design by Audrey CraneBanish Shadow Design
Nate Davis on IA Sub-disciplines
Nate Davis is an independent information architecture consultant and a longtime contributor to the global IA community. In this conversation, we discuss his ideas about IA sub-disciplines that influence the construction of digital user interfaces.Show notesNathaniel Davis - LinkedInMethodbrainFour Information Architecture Disciplines Every Team Should Consider When Building Digital User Interfaces by Nate DavisGPT-4 - WikipediaShow notes include Amazon affiliate links. We get a small commission
Karl Voit on Org Mode
Karl Voit describes himself as “a life hacker trying to make deliberate decisions on every aspect of life.” Among these are the tools he uses to manage his personal information. In particular, Karl is an avid user of Org Mode in Emacs, which is the focus of this conversation.Show notespublic voit - Homepage of Karl VoitKarl Voit on Mastodon (@publicvoit@graz.social)Filofax - WikipediaFranklin Planner - WikipediaLaTeX - A document preparation systemEmacs - WikipediaEmacs Lisp - WikipediaOrg-mode
Karl Fast on Reading
Karl Fast is an independent scholar, information architect, and futurist. He’s the co-author with Stephen Anderson of Figure It Out: Getting From Information to Understanding. Karl is one of the most avid readers I know, and in this conversation, we compare our reading practices. We discussed this subject in preparation for a personal knowledge management workshop we will teach later this year.Show notesKarl Fast - LinkedInThe Informed Life episode 69 - Karl Fast on Interactionism, part 1The Inf
Jenae Cohn on Design for Learning
Jenae Cohn is the Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at UC Berkeley. Along with Michael Greer, Jenae recently published Design for Learning, a book about how to teach better using technology, and what online teachers and instructors can learn from UX designers.Show notesJenae CohnJenae Cohn, PhD - LinkedInDesign for Learning: User Experience in Online Teaching and Learning by Jenae Cohn and Michael GreerCenter for Teaching & Learning - UC BerkeleyCalifornia College of the
Sönke Ahrens on Smart Notes
Sönke Ahrens is an independent researcher and coach. He is best known as the author of How to Take Smart Notes, a popular book on the zettelkasten method of note-taking. In this conversation, we discuss the role of notes in thinking and learning, with a focus on zettelkasten-inspired note-taking.Show notesSönke AhrensHow to Take Smart Notes by Sönke AhrensNiklas Luhmann - WikipediaBielefeld UniversityZettelkasten - WikipediaLuhmann’s digitized zettelkastenPersonal wiki - WikipediaThe Informed Li
Chiara Ogan on Personal Libraries
Chiara Ogan is a former UX designer and information architect. She recently left that career to become a mental health therapist. Chiara’s background is in library science, and in this conversation, we discuss how she organizes her personal book collection — which she just did in preparation for this major life change.Show notesChiara OganChiara (Berlingo Fox) Ogan - LinkedInInformation Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-scale Web Sites by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter MorvilleBill
Alex Wright on Informatica
Alex Wright is the Head of User Experience at Google News. He’s also an author, and his most recent book, Informatica, is the second edition of Glut, his deep history of the information age. In this conversation, we discuss the history of information technologies and why learning about it matters to people who work in tech.Show notesAlex WrightAlex Wright (@alexgrantwright) / XAlex Wright - LinkedInInformatica: Mastering Information through the Ages by Alex WrightCataloging the World: Paul Otlet
Aidan Helfant on PKM for Learning
Aidan Helfant is a college student who’s using personal knowledge management (PKM) to improve his learning. He’s also sharing his methods and tools to help other college students succeed. In this conversation, we unpack Aidan’s approach to note-taking for learning.Show notesAidan HelfantAidan Helfant - YouTubeAidan’s newsletterAidan’s blogAidan Helfant (@AidanHelfant) / TwitterAli AbdaalBuilding a Second BrainThe PARA Method: The Simple System for Organizing Your Digital Life in SecondsLinking Y
Maggie Appleton on Digital Gardening
Maggie Appleton is a product designer at Ought, an AI research lab that’s working on ways to scale open-ended thinking with machine learning. She’s also an advocate of sharing personal knowledge online. She publishes one of the best digital gardens I’ve seen, located at maggieappleton.com. In this conversation, we discuss the what, why, and how of digital gardening.Show notesMaggie AppletonMaggie Appleton on TwitterOught[Metaphors We Live](https://amzn.to/43q0eEj) By by George Lakoff and Mark Jo
Bob Kasenchak on Music, part 2
Bob Kasenchak is a taxonomist and information architect at Factor. This is the second of two episodes with Bob that focus on what information architects can learn from music. The first conversation, which you can find in episode 116, focused on the structure of music itself. Today’s conversation focuses on how we can make music more findable — but there are insights here for anyone working with any type of information, not just music.Show notesBob Kasenchak - LinkedInBob Kasenchak (@taxobob) - T
Bob Kasenchak on Music, part 1
Bob Kasenchak is a taxonomist and information architect at Factor. Bob’s background is in music, and this conversation delves into what information architects can learn from studying music. We recorded two conversations on the subject: this one focuses on the structure of music itself, and the second covers how we can make music more findable. Look for that one in an upcoming episode.Show notesBob Kasenchak - LinkedInBob Kasenchak (@taxobob) - TwitterFactorSynapticaAccess InnovationsIAC: Informa
Are Halland on the Core Model
Are Halland has worked in digital product development, strategy, design, and communication for over a quarter of a century. During that time, he created the core model, a tool for designing websites and products that align business goals and user needs. He has now written a book about the core model, which is due to be published later this year. In this conversation, he explains what the core model is and how it can help us create more effective digital products.Show notesAre Halland - TwitterAr
Dan Russell on The Joy of Search
Dan Russell spent 17 years working at Google, with a significant part of that tenure as a Search Anthropologist: “someone who tries to understand how people search, what kinds of things they seek, and how their tools influence their search process.” Dan is the author of The Joy of Search, which is the focus of our conversation today.Show notesDan RussellThe Joy of Search: A Google Insider’s Guide to Going Beyond the Basics by Dan RussellThe Library of CongressFelis silvestris catus - Wikipedia,
Sheryl Cababa on Systems Thinking for Social Change
Sheryl Cababa is the Chief Strategy Officer of Substantial, an experience design consultancy based in Seattle. She’s the author of Closing the Loop, a new book about systems thinking in design. The book emphasizes the role designers can play as catalysts for social change, and that is the focus of our conversation.Show notesSheryl Cababa - LinkedInSheryl Cababa (@SherylCababa)SubstantialUniversity of Washington - Human Centered Design & EngineeringClosing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers
Jerry Michalski on Jerry's Brain
Jerry Michalski helps organizations become more trustworthy by exploring their language, processes, and intentions. That’s fascinating in itself — but I wanted to talk with him primarily because he curates an online resource called Jerry’s Brain, a deep repository of interconnected thoughts. He’s worked on Jerry’s Brain for a quarter of a century, longer than any other such experiment I’m aware of. So, I wanted to find out why and how he does this.Show notesJerry MichalskiJerry’s BrainTheBrainRE
Andy Fitzgerald on Structured Content
Andy Fitzgerald is an information architecture and content strategy consultant. He works with mission-driven organizations to produce systems that communicate clearly, align business and user goals, and scale effectively. Our conversation today focuses on moving beyond the page as a metaphor for how information is delivered toward more flexible content structures.Show notesAndy Fitzgerald ConsultingAndy Fitzgerald, PhD - LinkedInLanguage + Meaning + User Experience ArchitectureDan KlynRichard Sa
Nicole van der Hoeven on Obsidian
Nicole van der Hoeven is a Developer Advocate at Grafana Labs. She is also a communicator, sharing what she learns through her writing, conference presentations, and YouTube videos. The latter are what brought Nicole’s work to my attention: she runs a YouTube channel focused on one of my favorite tools for thought, Obsidian. In this conversation, we focus on how Nicole uses Obsidian to “learn in public.”Show notesNicole van der HoevenNicole on MastodonNicole on YouTubepkm.socialGrafana labsObsid
Hugh Dubberly on Design Models
Hugh Dubberly is the founder of Dubberly Design Office, an interaction design studio based in San Francisco. Hugh has a long trajectory in the design world. Before opening his studio, he did pioneering work at leading tech companies like Apple and Netscape. He is also a thinker and teacher of uncommon depth and breadth. He’s my colleague at the California College of the Arts, and I’m also lucky to call him a friend and mentor. I met with Hugh in his office to discuss his recent paper arguing aga
Carrie Hane on Content Models
Carrie Hane is an evangelist at Sanity, a cloud-based content platform provider. Carrie is co-author of Designing Connected Content, which advocates for content modeling as part of the digital design process. This is also the subject of our conversation.A side note: Carrie is one of the keynote speakers at this year’s information architecture conference, which takes place in New Orleans from March 28 - April 1. I’ll be teaching an introductory IA workshop at the conference, so if you want to lea
Michael Becker on Knowledge Work
Michael Becker is the founder and CEO of Identity Praxis, a strategic advisory firm. He’s also a prolific communicator, having produced dozens of YouTube videos explaining how to use advanced knowledge management tools. In this conversation, we discuss Michael’s approach to knowledge work and how tools such as Tinderbox can help you think and work more effectively.Show notesMichael Becker - LinkedInMichael’s PatreonMichael’s YouTube channel@privacyshamanTinderboxTinderbox forumIdentity PraxisCal
Léonie Watson on Accessibility
Léonie Watson is an accessibility engineer, W3C director, technology writer, and speaker. She’s director at TetraLogical, a consultancy focused on accessibility for emerging and existing technologies. In this conversation, we focus on the role of accessibility in producing experiences that work better for everybody.Show notesLéonie WatsonLéonie Watson - LinkedInLéonie @tink@front-end.social (@LeonieWatson) / TwitterLéonie Watson (@tink@front-end.social) - Front-End SocialTetraLogicalBlog - Tetra
David Rose on SuperSight
David Rose is an entrepreneur, MIT lecturer, author, and pioneer in ambient computing. Among other institutions, his work has been featured in MoMA, The New York Times, WIRED, The Economist, and The Daily Show. He’s the author of two books: Enchanted Objects and his latest, SuperSight, which is the subject of our conversation.Show notesDavid Rose - Enchanted ObjectsDavid L. Rose - WikipediaDavid Rose - LinkedInsupersight.worldSuperSight: What Augmented Reality Means for Our Lives, Our Work, and
Marcia Bates on Search Systems
Marcia Bates is Professor Emerita in UCLA’s Department of Information Studies. Over the course of a long career in both consulting and academia, Dr. Bates produced seminal work in user-centered information system design. Her paper on “berrypicking” as a user search strategy has been widely cited and is considered a foundational text in the field. In this conversation, we discuss search systems.Transcripthttps://theinformed.life/2023/01/01/episode-104-marcia-bates-on-search-systems/Show notesMarc
Scott Jenson on Open Source UX
Scott Jenson has done strategic UX design work for some of tech’s most important companies, including Apple and Google. Now he’s semi-retired and focused on improving the experience of using open source software. In this conversation, we talk about what’s different about open source, how design can make it better, and how designers can benefit from participating in open source projects.Transcripthttps://theinformed.life/2022/12/18/episode-103-scott-jenson-on-open-source/Show notesScott JensonSco
Amy Jiménez Márquez on Leading Information Architecture
Amy Jiménez Márquez is Vice President of Experience Design at Zillow. Previously, she led design teams at Amazon and Compass. In this conversation, we focus on the role of information architecture in managing digital experiences at scale, with a particular focus on research and modeling.Transcripthttps://theinformed.life/2022/12/03/episode-102-amy-jimenez-marquez/Show notesAmy Jiménez Márquez - LinkedInAmy Jiménez Márquez (@amymarquez) / TwitterZillowAmazon AlexaMyers–Briggs Type Indicator - Wik
Bram Wessel and Gary Carlson on The Information Layer
Bram Wessel and Gary Carlson are the founders of Factor, an information architecture and experience design consultancy. In this conversation, we discuss their practice of helping organizations gain alignment by defining the information layer that underpins their digital systems.Transcripthttps://theinformed.life/2022/11/20/episode-101-bram-wessel-gary-carlson/Show notesBram Wessel - LinkedInGary Carlson - LinkedInFactorFactor (@factorfirm) - TwitterMobile virtual network operator - WikipediaREIB
Listener Questions
This is episode 100 of The Informed Life podcast. To celebrate, I decided to dedicate it to you, the show’s listeners. So today, I don’t have a guest. Instead, I will answer questions sent by listeners of the show.Transcripthttps://theinformed.life/2022/11/06/episode-100-listener-questions/Show notesIA: WTF? workshopVinish Garg’s question on LinkedInNigel Rawlins’s question on TwitterDigoamaje Refiloe Digoamaye’s question on TwitterRuben Stegbauer’s question on LinkedInGall’s LawRoam ResearchObs
Mark Bernstein on Tinderbox
Mark Bernstein is chief scientist of Eastgate Systems, Inc. He’s been writing hypertexts and developing hypertext authoring software since the late 1980s. Mark is the creator of Tinderbox and other tools for thinking that “harness the power of the link.” In this conversation, we discuss thinking through connected notes.Show notesMark BernsteinEastgate SystemsTinderboxThe Tinderbox Way, Third Edition by Mark BernsteinTinderbox ForumNAKAKOJI, KumiyoRoger EbertCathy MarshallXerox PARCThe Digital Na
Alice Albrecht on re:collect
Alice Albrecht is the founder and CEO of re:collect, a software tool that helps knowledge creators focus and connect. Alice’s background is in cognitive neuroscience and machine learning. In this conversation, we explore how tools for thought such as re:collect can help augment our thinking.Show notesAlice Albrecht (LinkedIn)re:collect@recollect_ai (Twitter)RENDER(); Tools for Thinking conferenceAlice’s re:collect demo at the RENDER() conference (Vimeo)InstapaperPocketObsidianRoam ResearchEveryR
Rob Ashton on the Science of Writing
Rob Ashton is a writer who focuses on the science of how the things we read and write influence what we think and do. Rob founded the global learning company Emphasis, and over the last six years, he’s focused on researching the science of reading and writing, ranging from cognitive and social neuroscience to behavioral and neuroeconomics. In this conversation, we discuss how science can make us more effective readers and writers.Show notesRob AshtonEmphasisRob’s Silent Influence courseTali Shar
Erin Malone on Pattern Libraries
Erin Malone is the Chair of the Interaction Design BFA Program at the California College of the Arts. In this conversation, we focus on Erin’s long trajectory with design pattern libraries, including her recent work with the Anti-Defamation League developing tools and best practices to fight online hate.Show notesErin Malone (LinkedIn)@emalone (Twitter)Interaction Design Program at the California College of the ArtsAnti-Defamation League (ADL)ADL’s Social Pattern LibraryDesigning Social Interfac
Natalie Marie Dunbar on Scaling Content Strategy
Natalie Marie Dunbar is a senior manager of content design at Walmart. She’s the author of From Solo to Scaled: Building a Sustainable Content Strategy Practice. In this conversation, we discuss content strategy, how it might differ from information architecture, and how to stand up a content strategy practice.Natalie has asked me to let you know that rosenfeldmedia.com has a promo code for The Informed Life listeners. The code is INFORMEDLIFESTS, and it’s good for 20% off the purchase of any Ro
Howard Rheingold on Tools for Thought
Howard Rheingold is an eminent author, maker, and educator. His work has explored and defined key aspects of digital culture, including the use of computers as tools for mind augmentation, virtual communities, and social media literacy. In this conversation, we discuss computers as extensions for our minds, Douglas Engelbart’s unfinished revolution, basic literacies for interacting in information environments, and the resurgence of Tools for Thought.Photo by Joi Ito (CC BY 2.0)Show notesHoward R
Lorenzo Bernaschina on Gems Notes
Lorenzo Bernaschina is the developer of Gems Notes, a note-taking tool that uses artificial intelligence to find relationships between ideas. In this conversation, we talk about smart note-taking and how technology might be used to extend rather than replace human intelligence.Update 2022-08-14: This episode was edited at the guest’s request.Show notesLorenzo’s personal websiteLorenzo Bernaschina (LinkedIn)@ittaboba on TwitterGems NotesRoam ResearchObsidianmy mindZettelkastenNiklas LuhmannAlan K
Steve Portigal on Research Skills
Steve Portigal is a consultant who helps organizations build more mature user research practices. He’s the author of Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories. He’s also the host of the Dollar to Donuts podcast about research leadership. In this conversation, we discuss the skills required for conducting successful interviews with users.Show notesSteve Portigal (portigal.com)Steve Portigal (linkedin.com)Portigal Co
Daniel Stillman on Conversation Design
Daniel Stillman is a conversation designer and coach. He’s the host of The Conversation Factory podcast and author of Good Talk: How to Design Conversations That Matter.This is a special episode of The Informed Life: it’s the first recorded in person, while Daniel and I attended and taught at UX Lisbon in May of 2022. Fittingly, it’s an experiment: a freeform, less produced conversation about how we converse. In some cases, this results in less context than you may expect. In particular, you’ll
Mike Rohde on Sketchnote Thinking
Mike Rohde is a designer, teacher, and illustrator — but you’re more likely familiar with his work in sketchnoting. Mike is the author of The Sketchnote Handbook, which popularized the practice, and the founder of the Sketchnote Army, a showcase of sketchnoters and their work. He’s been described as “one of the leaders of the visual thinking revolution.” In this conversation, we discuss how Mike’s approach to visual note-taking has influenced his work.Show notesMike Rohderohdesign.comThe Rohdesi
Kat King on Notes for Learning
Kat King is an information architect who’s “interested in information and how we figure things out.” She replied to one of my Twitter threads about note-taking, and I was intrigued by her approach. I recently saw Kat give a thoughtful presentation at the IA Conference and wanted to find out how she uses notes to learn and teach. So, this conversation focuses on note-taking as a means of learning.Show notesKat King@katalogofchaos on TwitterUniversity of MichiganThe Information Architecture Confer
Sam Ladner on Managing Research Knowledge
Sam Ladner is a sociologist, UX researcher, and student of productivity and the nature of work. She’s been a researcher at Amazon and Microsoft, and is currently Senior Principal Researcher at Workday. Sam is the author of two books on research, Practical Ethnography and Mixed Methods. In this conversation, we discuss sociology and ethnography in the context of organizations and how to manage the knowledge generated by research.Show notesSam LadnerSam Ladner on LinkedInWorkdayThe Corner: A Year
Austin Govella on the IA of Note-taking
Austin Govella is a user experience design lead at Avanade, a global professional services company. He’s the author of Collaborative Product Design and co-author of the second edition of Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web. In this conversation, we focus on Austin’s note-taking system and its relation to his work in UX design and information architecture.Show notesAustin GovellaAvanadeCollaborative Product Design by Austin GovellaInformation Architecture: Blueprints for the Web by C
Veronica Erb on Annotating Books
Veronica Erb is the author of Finding Out, an email newsletter for people who do and use UX research. Previously, she led UX research at NPR and consulted with a variety of companies. In this conversation, we discuss Veronica’s reading and note-taking practices.Since we recorded this, Veronica published a post with photos and screenshots of her notes. The link is in the show notes, in case you want to see what she's talking about.Show notesVeronica ErbScreenshots and photos of Veronica’s notesVe
Dorian Taylor on Christopher Alexander
Dorian Taylor is a consulting designer. He’s been influenced by the work of the architect and design theorist Christopher Alexander, who died in March. In this conversation, we discuss Alexander’s influence on the design of built environments and software.Show notesDorian Taylor@doriantaylor on TwitterThe Making of Making Sense (Dorian’s newsletter)At Any Given Moment in a Process (Dorian’s post about Christopher Alexander)Fifteen Properties Through an Information-Theoretic Lens by Dorian Taylo
Laura Yarrow on Trusted Agitators
Laura Yarrow is Head of Design for HM Land Registry in the UK. She’s also a public speaker and educator. In this conversation, we talk about how designers can increase their effectiveness in organizations by becoming trusted agitators.Show notesLaura Yarrow@laura_yarrow on TwitterThe people, place and space newsletterHM Land RegistryLaura’s Twitter thread about trusted agitatorsPace Layering: How Complex Systems Learn and Keep Learning by Stewart BrandStephen CoveySeven Habits of Highly Effectiv
Oliver Caviglioli on Graphic Organizers
Oliver Caviglioli is a former headteacher of a special needs school. Now, he’s an information designer and author of several books about education. His latest book, Organise Ideas, which he co-authored with David Goodwin, explains the practice and science behind using graphic organizers to teach and learn.Show notesOliver Caviglioli@olicav on TwitterOrganise Ideas: Thinking by Hand, Extending the Mind by Oliver Caviglioli and David GoodwinDual Coding With Teachers by Oliver CaviglioliTeaching Wa
Indi Young on Time to Listen
Indi Young is a researcher who coaches, writes, and teaches about inclusive product strategy. She was one of the founders of the pioneering UX agency Adaptive Path. Indi wrote two influential books: Mental Models and Practical Empathy. Now she has a new book, called Time to Listen, which is the focus of our conversation today.Show notesIndi Young@indiyoung on TwitterIndi Young on LinkedInTime to Listen by Indi YoungMental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior by Indi YoungPractica
Peter Bogaards on a UX Canon
Peter Bogaards is an evangelist, educator, and coach at Informaat experience design. Peter has shared design knowledge via his InfoDesign blog since 1997. In this conversation, we discuss his recently proposed canon on UX.Show notesPeter Bogaards (about.me)InformaatInfoDesign – Sharing knowledge is better than having itA canon of user experience: Seminal works of a discipline (A work in progress) by Peter BogaardsMan-computer symbiosis (pdf) by J.R. LickliderDARPA (formerly ARPA)As We May Think
Madonnalisa Chan on Notes for Living
Madonnalisa Chan is director of product management, taxonomy, and content services at Salesforce. I’ve known Lisa for a long time and admire her work as a taxonomist. But this conversation doesn’t focus on her work; instead, we discuss how she uses physical notes to manage her personal life.Show notesMadonnalisa Chan on LinkedInSalesforcePensieve (Harry Potter Wiki)Learning How to Learn courseThe Shoebox Method (YouTube)EvernoteGoogle DocsRyan HolidayThe Extended Mind by Annie Murphy PaulThe Inf
Boon Yew Chew on Roam
Boon Yew Chew is a strategic designer at Elsevier and a leader in IxDA, the Interaction Design Association. In this conversation, we delve into Roam Research, which Boon uses to take notes and tame “an ever-evolving multi-dimensional beast of knowledge.”If you’re enjoying the show, please rate or review it in Apple’s Podcasts directory: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-informed-life/id1450117117?itsct=podcast_box&itscg=30200Show notesBoon Yew Chew on LinkedInBoon Yew Chew on Medium@Boon
Dan Klyn on the BASIC Framework
Dan Klyn is co-founder of The Understanding Group, an information architecture consultancy based in Michigan. Dan has also created useful and influential IA frameworks, and in this conversation, we focus on his latest: the BASIC framework.If you’re enjoying the show, please rate or review it in Apple’s Podcasts directory: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-informed-life/id1450117117?itsct=podcast_box&itscg=30200Show notesDan KlynThe Understanding GroupThe BASIC frameworkChris FarnumPeter
Year in Review
In observance of the winter holidays, this episode doesn’t feature a guest interview. Instead, I reflect on five themes that emerged in the diverse conversations we hosted on the podcast during 2021. I wish you and yours happy holidays!Cover photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash.If you’re enjoying the show, please rate or review it in Apple’s Podcasts directory:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-informed-life/id1450117117?itsct=podcast_box&itscg=30200Show notesThe Informed Life episode 53:
Dan Brown on IA Lenses
Dan Brown is the co-founder of UX design studio EightShapes. He’s also the author of Communicating Design, Designing Together, and Practical Design Discovery. In this conversation, we focus on Dan’s Information Architecture Lenses, a set of cards that help designers interrogate IA decisions.If you’re enjoying the show, please rate or review it in Apple’s Podcasts directory: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-informed-life/id1450117117?itsct=podcast_box&itscg=30200Show notesDan BrownDan Br
Hans Krueger on the Cycle of Emotions
Hans Krueger is co-founder of the international design consultancy MetaDesign. He also co-founded another design consultancy, FutureDraft, where we worked together for several years. In this conversation, we discuss Hans’s trajectory and how ancient teachings have helped him better understand his emotions.Show notesHans Krueger (LinkedIn)Now PartnersErik SpiekermannUli Mayer-JohanssenMetaDesignArnaud MaitlandNyingma school of BuddhismFutureDraftWalter LinkThe Cycle of Emotions - A guide to influ
Annie Murphy Paul on The Extended Mind
Annie Murphy Paul is an acclaimed science writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Scientific American, Slate, Time magazine, The Best American Science Writing, and other publications.Our conversation focuses on the subject of her latest book, The Extended Mind, which is about how human cognition relies on our bodies, other people, and the material world. I loved this book and was thrilled to ask Annie about how this line of thinking plays out in the context of our
Patrick Tanguay on Newsletter Curation
Patrick Tanguay is a self-described "generalist, synthesist, and curator of eclectic ideas." His weekly newsletter, Sentiers, surfaces deep posts about highly relevant topics and provides insightful commentary and ideas. In this conversation, we discuss the tools and methods that enable his curation and sharing process.Show notes@inervenu on TwitterAbout PatrickThe Alpine ReviewSentiersRSSInstapaperINFORMA(C)TION newsletterMailChimpPinboardDeliciousWordPressEleventyReadwiseObsidianPocket What is
Nathan Shedroff on Foodicons
Nathan Shedroff is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and a colleague at the California College of the Arts, where we both teach in the graduate interaction design program. Nathan has worked for a long time on driving innovation and sustainability through design. This conversation focuses on his latest project: Foodicons, which is creating a shared, open-source, and royalty-free iconographic language of food.Show notesNathan Shedroff@nathanshedroff on TwitterCalifornia College of the Arts MDESDes
Sunni Brown on Deep Self Design
Sunni Brown is a social entrepreneur who uses visual literacy, design thinking, and visual facilitation to solve complex problems. She's the author of The Doodle Revolution and co-author of Gamestorming.In this conversation, we discuss Sunni's current area of focus, which uses Zen Buddhism and design thinking to help individuals craft a more fulfilling and engaged life.Show notesSunni BrownDeep Self DesignSunni on TwitterSunni on LinkedInSunni on InstagramSunni on FacebookThe Doodle Revolution:
Karl Fast on Interactionism, part 2
Karl Fast is an independent scholar, information architect, and futurist. He's the co-author of Figure It Out: Getting From Information to Understanding. This is the second half of a two-part conversation about interaction and embodiment. If you haven't done so already, please listen to part 1 before listening to this episode.Show notes@karlfast on Twitter Karl Fast on LinkedInFigure It Out: Getting From Information to Understanding by Stephen P. Anderson and Karl FastBruce AlexanderThe Rat Park
Karl Fast on Interactionism, part 1
Karl Fast is an independent scholar, information architect, and futurist. He's the co-author of Figure It Out: Getting From Information to Understanding alongside Stephen Anderson, who was featured in episode 39 of the show. In this conversation, Karl tells us about what interaction designers can learn from cognitive science. We had a lot to discuss, so this episode is the first of two on the subject.Show notes@karlfast on Twitter Karl Fast on LinkedInFigure It Out: Getting From Information to
Mags Hanley on Career Architecture
In this conversation, we discuss Career Architecture, the focus of her current coaching work and subject of her upcoming book.Listen to the show Download episode 68Show notesMagsHanley.comMags Hanley on LinkedInSeth GodinBBCCareer Architecture by Mags Hanley (preorder)Some show notes may include Amazon affiliate links. I get a small commission for purchases made through these links.
Listener questions
No guest in this episode. Instead, I answer listener questions. If you have a question you'd like me to address on the show, please email me at live@theinformed.life or tweet to @informed_life.Listen to the show Download episode 67Show notesThe Informed Life episode 17: Rachel Price on Improvisation The Informed Life episode 65: Sarah Barrett on Architectural ScaleA brief history of information architecture (pdf) by Peter MorvilleInformation Architects by Richard Saul WurmanDavid MacaulayAlexand
Jim Kalbach on Jobs to Be Done
Jim Kalbach is the chief evangelist at MURAL, a leading provider of online visual collaboration software. He's the author of Designing Web Navigation (O'Reilly, 2007), Mapping Experiences (O'Reilly, 2016), and his latest, The Jobs to Be Done Playbook (Rosenfeld, 2020). In this conversation, we dive into Jobs to Be Done, how it relates to design, and how jobs can create an “out of body experience” for organizations.Show notes@JimKalbach on TwitterJim Kalbach on LinkedInMURALThe Jobs to Be Done Pl
Jim Kalbach on Jobs to Be Done
Jim Kalbach is the chief evangelist at MURAL, a leading provider of online visual collaboration software. He's the author of Designing Web Navigation (O'Reilly, 2007), Mapping Experiences (O'Reilly, 2016), and his latest, The Jobs to Be Done Playbook (Rosenfeld, 2020). In this conversation, we dive into Jobs to Be Done, how it relates to design, and how jobs can create an “out of body experience” for organizations. Listen to the show Download episode 66 Show notes @JimKalbach on Twitter Jim Ka
Udhaya Kumar Padmanabhan on India
Udhaya Kumar Padmanabhan is a Global Strategic Design Director at Designit, an international strategic design consultancy. He is based in Bangalore, and in this conversation we talk about challenges and opportunities inherent in designing information systems for the Indian market.Listen to the show Download episode 65Show notesUdhaya Kumar Padmanabhan (LinkedIn)DesignitLanguages of India (Wikipedia)IndEA (India Enterprise Architecture)Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information TechnologySwig
Sarah Barrett on Architectural Scale
Sarah Barrett is a principal IA Manager at Microsoft. She's been writing compellingly about information architecture in Medium, and in this conversation, we focus on her most recent posts, which deal with how architectural scale affects our perception of information environments. Download episode 64Show notesSarah R. Barrett@documentalope (Sarah Barrett) on TwitterKnown Item (Medium publication)Microsoft LearnMSDNdocs.microsoft.comWorld IA DayBreadcrumb navigationRachel PriceWebsites are not liv
Sophia Prater on Object Oriented UX
Sophia Prater is a UX design consultant and chief evangelist of object oriented UX, a methodology that helps teams tackle complex design challenges. In this conversation, we discuss OOUX and how it differs from other methodologies. Download episode 63Show notes@sophiaux on TwitterRewired (Sophia's consultancy)Ooux.comThe Object Oriented UX PodcastObject-Oriented UX, by Sophia Prater (A List Apart article) Double Diamond Object Oriented UX Podcast, episode 10: Information Archaeology with Ren Pop
Alla Weinberg on Work Culture
Alla Weinberg helps teams and organizations improve the quality of relationships at work. She has a background in design, but now calls herself a ‘work relationship expert.’ In this conversation, we discuss her new book, A Culture of Safety, and how teams can create environments that allow people to do their best work together.Listen to the show Download episode 62Show notes@IamAllaW on TwitterAlla Weinberg on LinkedInSpoke & Wheel (Alla's consulting company)A Culture of Safety: Building a work
Jeff Sussna on Customer Value Charting
Jeff Sussna is a consultant and author specialized in helping organizations deliver software more effectively. This is Jeff’s second appearance on the show. In this conversation, he tells us about Customer Value Charting, a visual tool that helps teams balance strategy and agility.Listen to the show Download episode 61Show notesSussna AssociatesDesigning Delivery: Rethinking IT in the Digital Service Economy by Jeff SussnaThe Informed Life episode 15: Jeff Sussna on Cybernetics Customer Value Ch
Kat Vellos on Friendship
Kat Vellos on FriendshipKat Vellos uses her background in experience design to empower people to learn, grow, and thrive. She’s written two books on adult friendship, We Should Get Together and Connected from Afar. In this conversation, we discuss the importance and challenges of making friends, especially during this time of ‘social distancing.’Listen to the showDownload episode 60Show notesKat VellosWe Should Get Together (website)We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friend
Matt LeMay on One Page / One Hour
Matt LeMay is a product management consultant and author. He’s a co-founder and partner at Sudden Compass, which helps companies reconnect with their customers and helps teams focus on addressing human needs. He’s the author of Agile for Everybody and Product Management in Practice. In this conversation, Matt shares with us One Page / One Hour, his pledge to make project collaboration more agile.Listen to the show Download episode 59Show notesMatt LeMaySudden CompassOne Page / One HourTricia Wan
Jesse James Garrett on Leadership and Information Architecture
Jesse James Garret is a renowned leader in the user experience design field. He’s a co-founder of the influential UX consultancy Adaptive Path and author of The Elements of User Experience. These days, Jesse coaches UX design leaders. In this conversation, we discuss the relationship between leadership and information architecture.Listen to the show Download episode 58Show notesJesse James Garrett’s website@jjg on TwitterJesse James Garrett on LinkedInThe Elements of User Experience: User-Center
Ben Mosior on Wardley Maps
In his consulting practice, Ben Mosior teaches Wardley Mapping, a tool for visualizing strategic intent. In this conversation, we dive into Wardley Maps: what they are and how they can help us make better strategic decisions. Listen to the show Download episode 57 Show notes Learn Wardley Mapping@HiredThought on TwitterThe Phoenix Project by Kevin BehrLeading Edge ForumWardley maps: Topographical intelligence in business by Simon WardleyThe Art of War by Sun TzuHow to Read a Wardley Map video S
Margot Bloomstein on Trust
Margot Bloomstein is the principal of Appropriate, Inc., a brand and content strategy consultancy. Over a twenty year career, she has consulted in a wide range of industries. Margot is the author of Content Strategy at Work and of a new book, Trustworthy: How the Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap, which is the subject of our conversation today.Show notesAppropriate, Inc.@mbloomstein on TwitterTimberlandPublicis SapientTrustworthy: How The Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Br
Hà Phan on Product Leadership
Hà Phan is the Director of Discovery for Pluralsight, an e-learning platform. Before becoming a product leader, she was a principal UX designer at GoPro. In this conversation, we discuss Hà’s journey from UX design to product leadership.Show notes@hpdailyrant on TwitterPluralsightGoPro The Double DiamondSome show notes may include Amazon affiliate links. I get a small commission for purchases made through these links.
Kourosh Dini on DEVONthink
Kourosh Dini is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and productivity expert. He is the author of an excellent book on how to take smart notes using DEVONthink, a personal information management tool. In this conversation, we discuss smart note-taking and how DEVONthink can help us work more effectively.Show notesKourosh DiniBeing ProductiveTaking Smart Notes with DEVONthink by Kourosh DiniHow to Take Smart Notes by Sonke AhrensDEVONthinkZettelkastenNiklas LuhmannEvernoteNotionRoam Research macOS Find
Jason Ulaszek on Healing Social Rifts
Jason Ulaszek is an experience designer, activist, entrepreneur, and educator. He is the founder of Inzovu, a design collective, and UX for Good, a nonprofit that aims to provide elegant solutions to messy problems. In this conversation, we discuss Jason's work on just such a problem: helping Rwandans heal after their 1994 genocide.Show notesJason Ulaszek on LinkedIn@webbit on TwitterInzovuUX for GoodDePaul UniversityAegis TrustThe Kigali Genocide MemorialThe Inzovu CurveTania SingerUbumuntuSome
Grace Lau on Information Architecture Events
Grace Lau is an information architect and user experience designer based in the Greater Los Angeles area. She’s the co-president of World IA Day and one of the program chairs of the 2021 IA Conference. In this conversation, we discuss those professional community events, and why you should participate.Listen to the showDownload episode 52Show notesGrace Lau@lauggh on TwitterGrace G. Lau on LinkedInMy Disney ExperienceUCLAASIS&TALASLAThe Los Angeles User Experience MeetupWorld IA DaySan Gabriel V
Cheryl Platz on Multimodality
Cheryl Platz is an accomplished interaction designer who has designed multimodal experiences for Amazon, Microsoft, the Walt Disney Company and more. The focus of our conversation is her new book on the subject, Design Beyond Devices.Show notesCheryl PlatzIdeaplatzCheryl on TwitterIdeaplatz on TwitterThe Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationKinectXboxDesign Beyond Devices: Creating Multimodal, Cross-Device Experiences by Cheryl PlatzNintendo DSWacom tabletsSiriCortanaAmazon EchoEcho ShowImprovisatio
Brian Breslin on Building Community
My guest today is Brian Breslin. Brian is a tech entrepreneur, educator, and community builder based in Miami. He’s the director of The Launch Pad, the entrepreneurship center at the University of Miami, and founder of Refresh Miami, a non-profit organization dedicated to growing South Florida’s tech and startup ecosystem. In this conversation, we focus on community-building, especially during this time when geographic boundaries are becoming blurred.Listen to the show Download episode 50 Show n
Phillip Hunter on Design for Conversation
My guest today is Phillip Hunter. Phillip is a strategy and innovation consultant focused on conversational systems. He has a long trajectory working on such systems; among other roles, he was head of user experience for Amazon Alexa Skills. In this conversation, we focus on conversation itself, and how to design systems that converse.Listen to the show Download episode 49 Show notesPhillip Hunter on LinkedInPhillip Hunter on TwitterConversational Collaborative AI Services (Phillip’s consultancy
Caroline Crampton on Curation
My guest today is Caroline Crampton. Caroline is a freelance writer and podcaster. Among other things, she edits The Listener, a daily newsletter that curates the best podcasts. In this conversation, we focus on Caroline’s curation workflow.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 48 Show notesCaroline CramptonThe Way to the Sea: The Forgotten Histories of the Thames Estuary by Caroline CramptonShedunnit (Caroline’s podcast)Hot Pod newsletterSerial podcastThe Listener newsletterThe Brows
Peter Morville on Emancipating Information Architecture
My guest today is Peter Morville. Peter is a pioneer in the discipline of information architecture. Among many other distinctions, he co-authored with Lou Rosenfeld Information Architecture for the World-Wide Web, the classic O’Reilly “polar bear” book on the subject. This is Peter’s second appearance on The Informed Life podcast. I asked him back because I wanted to learn more about his recent call for practitioners to emancipate information architecture.Listen to the full conversation Download
Jeff Johnson on Design for Aging
My guest today is Dr. Jeff Johnson. Jeff has been applying his background in psychology towards designing better human-computer interfaces for over forty years. He teaches computer science at The University of San Francisco, and has written several influential books on UI design. Among these, he co-authored with Kate Finn Desiging User Interfaces for an Aging Population, which is the focus of this conversation.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 46 Show notesJeff JohnsonUI WizardsCo
Tanya Rabourn on Ethnography
My guest today is Tanya Rabourn. Tanya is a design strategist and researcher based in Dubai. Her focus is on service innovation for social impact. In this conversation, we discuss the role of ethnographic research in understanding the people and cultures served by design.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 45 Show notesTanya Rabourn on LinkedInUnited Arab Emirates (UAE)United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)The University of TexasMercy CorpsDemocratic Republic of the Congo (
Alexis Lloyd on the Granularity of Media
My guest today is Alexis Lloyd. Alexis is VP of Product Design at Medium and co-founder of Ethical Futures Lab. Previously, she led design and innovation work at The New York Times, Axios, and Automattic. Alexis has been thinking about the future of media for a long time. In this conversation, we focus on the evolving ways we consume and produce media.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 44 Show notesAlexis Lloyd@alexislloyd on TwitterResearch & Development at The New York TimesAxios
Rob Haisfield on Roam
My guest today is Rob Haisfield. Rob is a behavioral product strategy and gamification consultant. He’s also an expert user of Roam, “a note-taking tool for networked thought.” In this conversation, we talk about Roam — what it is and how it can help you think more effectively.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 43 Show notesRob Haisfield@roberthaisfield on TwitterRob Haisfield on LinkedInInfluence Insights, Rob’s consulting companySpark WaveCenter for Advanced HindsightRoam Researc
Nataly Restrepo on Food Design
My guest today is Nataly Restrepo. Nataly is an industrial designer specialized in food design. She works as a food and beverage innovation consultant for restaurants and consumer goods, and is based in Mexico. In this conversation we explore food design and how designing for experiences calls for a holistic understanding.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 42 Show notesNataly RestrepoNataly Restrepo on InstagramNataly Restrepo on LinkedinFood Design Education on InstagramFood Desig
Arvind Venkataramani on Rituals
My guest today is Arvind Venkataramani. Alongside Adam Menter, Arvind has been working on an open source toolkit to help people design secular rituals. In this conversation, we explore what rituals are and how being more intentional in their structure and use can improve our lives.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 41 Show notesArvind VenkataramaniAdam MenterThe Ritual Design ToolkitSonicRim Graph of types of ritualsU-HaulVirtual Memorial GuideBarn raisingAnthony GiddensBurning Man
Heather Hedden on Taxonomies
My guest today is Heather Hedden. Heather is an information management consultant specialized in taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, metadata, and indexing. She’s the author of two books, including The Accidental Taxonomist, a guide to the discipline of taxonomy creation and management. In this conversation, we explore taxonomies and why they’re important for organizations.Listen to the full conversation Download episode 40 Show notesHedden Information ManagementHeather’s blog Heather’s online
Stephen P. Anderson on Cognitive Environments
My guest today is Stephen P. Anderson. Stephen is a design leader who is focused on workforce learning and organizational development. He and Karl Fast recently published Figure it Out, a new book about how we can transform information to increase understanding. This is also the subject of our conversation; I hope you find it valuable.Show notesStephen P. Anderson@stephenanderson on TwitterThe Mighty Minds ClubFigure It Out: Getting from Information to Understanding, by Stephen P. Anderson and K
Andy Polaine on Service Design
My guest today is Andy Polaine. Andy is a service designer, consultant, educator, author, and podcaster. He’s co-author of the book Service Design: From Insight to Implementation and host of the Power of Ten podcast. In this conversation, we discuss service design, and how it helps organizations think more holistically about the experiences they enable.Listen to the full conversation Show notesAndy PolaineAndy Polaine on TwitterAndy Polaine on LinkedInPower of Ten podcastService Design: From Ins
Audrey Crane on Design in Organizations
My guest today is Audrey Crane. Audrey is a partner in DesignMap, a UX strategy and digital product design consultancy based in San Francisco. Audrey recently published a book called What CEOs Need to Know About Design, and in this conversation, we talk about the evolving role of design in organizations and why this book is needed now.Listen to the full conversation Show notesDesignMapTRS-80Ashton-TateAppleNetscapeHugh DubberlyDubberly Design OfficeHypercardWhat CEOs Need to Know About Design: A
Louis Rosenfeld on Virtual Conferences
My guest today is my friend Lou Rosenfeld. Besides publishing books — including my own Living in Information — Lou and his team at Rosenfeld Media organize and manage industry conferences. In this episode, we talk about how they transitioned the recent Advancing Research conference from an in-person to a fully virtual event.Listen to the full conversation Show notesLouis RosenfeldRosenfeld Media @louisrosenfeld on Twitter The Informed Life Episode 1: Louis Rosenfeld on ManagingAdvancing Research
Matt Nish-Lapidus on Art
My guest today is Matt Nish-Lapidus. Matt is an artist, musician, researcher, designer, and educator based in Toronto. Besides creating art and music, and doing design work, Matt also teaches at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. In this conversation, we discuss the role of art in our evolving technological and cultural environments.Listen to the full conversation Show notesMatt Nish-Lapidus (emenel.com)Matt on InstagramMatt on TwitterUniversity of TorontoNew media artSFMoMAMoMA (Ne
Ren Pope on Ontologies
My guest today is Ren Pope. Ren is a Principal at Info-Do, which offers data, information, and knowledge architecture consulting. He’s worked in these domains for the last 25 years or so, and has also taught colleagues how to do these things through workshops and presentations. In this episode, we focus on why organizations need to know about and develop ontologies.Listen to the full conversationShow notesInfo-DoRen Pope on LinkedInRen Pope on SlideShareCignaThe Information Architecture Conferen
Abby Covert on Remote Work
My guest today is my friend Abby Covert, also known as Abby the IA. Abby is a Senior Information Architect at Etsy. She wrote the book How to Make Sense of Any Mess, a wonderful primer on information architecture, and co-founded World IA Day. She’s also taught graduate design students and curated global conferences about design. She’s done many of these things remotely over the last decade, which makes her a great guide for how to collaborate in our new reality.Listen to the full conversation Sh
Aynne Valencia on Work Cycles
My guest today is Aynne Valencia. Aynne is my colleague at the California College of the Arts, where she is the former Chair of the undergraduate interaction design program. In addition to teaching at CCA, she is also the Director of Design at San Francisco Digital Services, which designs digital experiences for the citizens of San Francisco and the city employees that serve them. In this conversation, we discuss the differences and similarities between the private, civic, and education sectors
Nicholas Paul Brysiewicz on the Long-term View
My guest today is Nicholas Paul Brysiewicz, the director of development of the Long Now Foundation in San Francisco, CA. The Foundation was created to foster long-term thinking, and in this conversation, Nick and I talk about how a broader time perspective can help us understand difficult times and lay the groundwork for a better future.A note about context: We recorded this conversation in early March of 2020, before the coronavirus had been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization
Christian Crumlish on Product Management
My guest today is Christian Crumlish. Christian has led product and design teams in organizations ranging from startups to large tech companies. In this conversation, we delve into the relationship between digital product management and information architecture, and how we might be more empowered as users of these systems.Listen to the full conversation Show notesChristian Crumlish (mediajunkie.com)Dungeons and DragonsPaladinYahoo!Design in Product Slack communityRichard Saul WurmanUnderstanding
Maria Giudice on Purpose
My guest today is Maria Giudice. Maria founded Hot Studio, a design consultancy that was acquired by Facebook in 2013. After leaving Facebook, she served as VP of Design at Autodesk. In this conversation, Maria reveals how she found her purpose, and shares with us the exciting next stage of her career.Listen to the full conversation Show notesMaria Giudice on LinkedInMaria Giudice on FacebookHot StudioRichard Saul WurmanInformation Architects by Richard Saul WurmanCooper UnionFortranMassimo Vign
Peter Merholz on the Structure of Organizations
My guest today is Peter Merholz. Peter is one of the co-founders of the pioneering UX design consultancy Adaptive Path, now part of Capital One. After leaving Adaptive Path, he has structured and led design teams in various organizations. Peter and his co-author, Kristin Skinner, wrote Org Design for Design Orgs, the book on how to organize design teams. In this episode, we discuss how the structure of organizations influences their customer’s experiences.Listen to the full conversation https://
Cyd Harrell on Design for the Long-term
My guest today is Cyd Harrell. Cyd is a product, service design, and user research leader focused on the civic and government space. In this conversation, we discuss the differences between designing for civic and commercial projects and what it takes to design respectful systems that stand the test of time.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/the-informed-life-episode-27-cyd-harrell-1.mp3 Show notesCyd Harrell on TwitterCenter for Civic DesignCo
Andrew Hinton on Language and Environments
My guest today is Andrew Hinton. Andrew has worked in the digital design field for two decades. He’s one of the founders of the Information Architecture Institute and author of the book Understanding Context. In this conversation, you’ll learn about the foundations of information architecture and why Andrew thinks of himself as a “radical information architect.”Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/the-informed-life-episode-26-andrew-hinton.mp3 Sh
Mary Parks on Voice User Interfaces
My guest today is Mary Parks. Mary’s background is in communications and applied linguistics, and for the past twenty years she has worked on designing voice user interfaces for digital systems. In this conversation, we focus on what voice interfaces are and how voice-driven systems work.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/the-informed-life-episode-25-mary-parks.mp3 Show notesMary Parks on TwitterNuance CommunicationsHoneywellApplied linguistics
Michael J. Metts on Writing as Design
My guest today is Michael J. Metts. Michael designs digital products and services, with a focus on the impact of writing on the user’s experience. He and co-author Andy Welfle have written a new book on this subject. In this conversation, Michael and I discuss the relationship between writing and design, and how being more aware of how we use language can make us more effective.Show notesMichael J. Metts on TwitterMichael J. Metts on LinkedInMichael J. Metts on InstagramMichael’s blogWriting is
Carol Smith on Artificial Intelligence
My guest today is Carol Smith. Carol is a user experience researcher at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Her focus is artificial intelligence, and prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, she worked for Uber’s Advanced Technology Group and IBM Watson. In this conversation, we discuss the benefits and limitations of artificial intelligence — and machine learning, more specifically – for our day-to-day information management.Listen to the full conversation https://theinfo
Andrea Mignolo on Designerly Ways of Being
My guest today is Andrea Mignolo. Andrea is VP of Product and Design at Movable Ink, a marketing technology company based in New York. In this episode, we discuss design as a way of being in the world, and why it matters.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/the-informed-life-episode-22-andrea-mignolo.mp3 Show notesAndrea Mignolo’s websiteAndrea Mignolo on TwitterAndrea Mignolo on MediumOberlin CollegeFree Speech TVRailsEmber.js Reflections on Bus
Vanessa Foss on Event Planning
My guest today is Vanessa Foss. Vanessa has been planning and managing conferences for twenty-five years. She’s the founder and president of Kunverj, an event planning and management company. Vanessa and her team run one of my favorite events of the year, the Information Architecture Conference. In this episode, we discuss what it takes to manage such an event.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/the-informed-life-episode-21-vanessa-foss.mp3 Show
Chris Chandler on Design Ethics
My guest today is Chris Chandler. Chris is a partner at Philosophie, a strategic software design and development studio. He’s also a self-described “agilista,” and in this episode we discuss how designers — especially those working in agile environments — can embrace an ethical approach to their work.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/the-informed-life-episode-20-chris-chandler.mp3 Show notesChris Chandler on TwitterUCLA Department of Informati
Eduardo Ortiz on Social Impact
My guest today is Eduardo Ortiz. Eduardo is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former Director at the U.S. Digital Service. More recently, Eduardo co-founded &Partners, a social impact design and engineering studio that works with organizations to help improve their communities. In this episode, we discuss how they manage their information to drive change.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/the-informed-life-episode-19-eduardo-ortiz-2.mp3 Show note
Thomas Dose on Music Collections
My guest today is Thomas Dose. Thomas is the head of Music Services at DR, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. In this role, he works with a massive archive of physical and digital music files. In this episode, we talk about how DR organizes it all and what we can learn to help us manage our own music collections better.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/the-informed-life-episode-18-thomas-dose.mp3 Show notesThomas Dose on TwitterDRSpotifyIDAG
Rachel Price on Improvisation
My guest today is Rachel Price. Rachel works as a Senior Information Architect at Microsoft and teaches Information Architecture at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle. Her background is in music, and in this episode we talk about how structures can serve as a foundation for improvisation.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/the-informed-life-episode-17-rachel-price.mp3 Show notesRachel Price on LinkedInRachel Price on TwitterSchool of Visua
MJ Broadbent on Graphic Recording
Today I’m joined by my friend MJ Broadbent. As a graphic facilitator and recorder, MJ uses visual thinking to help people communicate more effectively. In this episode, we talk about how drawing can help folks understand each other and make everyday life more joyful.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/the-informed-life-episode-16-mj-broadbent.mp3Show notesMJ BroadbentMJ Broadbent on TwitterMJ Broadbent on InstagramMJ Broadbent on FlickrMJ Broadb
Jeff Sussna on Cybernetics
My guest today is IT consultant and author Jeff Sussna. Jeff’s liberal arts background has given him a unique perspective on digital transformation. In this episode, we explore the relevance of cybernetics to today’s complex design and DevOps challenges.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/the-informed-life-episode-15-jeff-sussna.mp3Show notesSussna Associates@jeffsussna on TwitterChange by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and
Lis Hubert on Intentional Living
My guest today is information architect Lis Hubert. Over the past year, Lis has been living and working around the world as what some folks call a “digital nomad.” In this show, we talk about how she’s using this time to structure her best life.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/episode-14-lis-hubert.mp3 Show notesLis HubertThe Lis Experiment blogZoomLis’s YouTube ChannelDiana SonisThe 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim FerrissWalden, by Henry David Thore
Ariel Waldman on Antarctica
My guest today is NASA advisor, author, and YouTube videographer Ariel Waldman. Ariel describes what she does as making “massively multiplayer science” — that is, “creating unusual collaborations that infuse serendipity into science and space exploration.” In this episode, we focus on her recent sojourn documenting microscopic life in Antarctica, and how managing information in such a remote, demanding environment calls for self-reliance and thoughtful preparation.Listen to the full conversation
Kim Lenox on Leadership
My guest today is design executive Kim Lenox. Kim is Vice President of Product Design at Zendesk. In her 20+ year career, she’s also led design teams at top global organizations such as LinkedIn and HP. In this episode, we talk about the difference between management and control, leading geographically dispersed teams, and taking handwritten notes on digital devices.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/the-informed-life-episode-12-kim-lenox.mp3 S
Lisa Welchman on Governance
My guest today is digital governance advocate Lisa Welchman. For the past twenty years, Lisa has helped organizations manage the flow of their digital information. In this episode, she tells us about how content models and governance frameworks can help organizations manage their information more intentionally and safely.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/episode-11-lisa-welchman.mp3 Show notesLisa WelchmanManaging Chaos: Digital Governance by
Peter Morville on Seductive Information
My guest today is information architecture and user experience pioneer Peter Morville. Alongside Lou Rosenfeld, Peter co-authored Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, the first of several books Peter has produced that explore how we deal with information. In this conversation, we discuss a more mindful approach to dealing with the information in our lives.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/the-informed-life-episode-10-peter-morville
Jessica Ivins on Getting Things Done
My guest today is Jessica Ivins. Jessica is a user experience designer. She’s also faculty member at Center Centre, the UX design school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she prepares students to be industry-ready UX designers. She wears many hats in this role, and in this episode we talk about how she keeps track of it all.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/episode-9-jessica-ivins.mp3 Show notesCenter CentreDavid Allen’s Getting Things DoneMarc
Trip O’Dell on Dyslexia
My guest today is Trip O’Dell. Trip has worked as a product designer for leading technology companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, and Amazon. Before his career in tech, Trip was a teacher, introducing new technologies to students so they could tell stories in new ways. When he was a student himself, Trip was diagnosed with dyslexia, and in this episode we discuss how this allows him to think differently.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/episode-
Donna Lichaw on Stories
My guest today is Donna Lichaw. After a long career that included documentary film-making and tech, Donna discovered her calling: helping people hone the stories they tell about themselves. Now she coaches designers, technologists, entrepreneurs, and leaders who want to make a difference. In this episode we talk about how she helps her clients visualize their stories.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/the-informed-life-episode-7-donna-lichaw.mp
Beck Tench on Tinderbox
My guest today is Beck Tench. Beck is a third-year Ph.D. student at the University of Washington. This role requires that she deal with a lot of information, and in this show, we talk about how she makes sense of it all. We also discuss the subject of her Ph.D. itself, which is both fascinating and highly relevant.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/episode-6-beck-tench.mp3 Show notesBeck TenchUniversity of Washington Information SchoolZettelk
Kevin M. Hoffman on Proposals
My guest today is Kevin M. Hoffman. Kevin is a designer, manager, and author who has led teams of designers both inside and outside of large organizations. In the last few years, he’s turned his attention to designing better meetings. In this episode, we talk about how he’s using information to engage with prospects and clients so they can design meetings that add value to their lives.Photo credit: Michelle MillaListen to the full conversation https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/
Andrea Kates on Innovation
My guest today is Andrea Kates. Andrea is a consultant and author who equips leaders to translate emerging trends into growth for their businesses. She’s helped major organizations around the world to “find their next,” and has spoken about business innovation at TED and The Aspen Institute among other venues. In this episode, we discuss how Andrea helps clients innovate by thinking beyond the confines of their existing information environments.Listen to the full conversation https://theinformed
Fabricio Teixeira on Publishing
My guest today is Fabricio Teixeira. Fabricio has led design teams at various agencies over the past 15 years; now he’s at Work & Co, a digital product design studio based in Brooklyn, NY. I came to know Fabricio because he’s one of the founders and publishers of UX Collective, one of the largest design and UX online publications. In this episode, we focus on how Fabricio and his partner Caio Braga make UX Collective happen through mindful information management.Listen to the full conversation h
Gretchen Anderson on Writing
My guest today is Gretchen Anderson. Gretchen spent the first part of her career consulting with world-renowned design firms. More recently, she’s led design and product teams at various companies, including PG&E, California’s largest energy company. Currently, Gretchen consults with clients to inform their product strategies and improve their team collaboration skills. She’s now written a book about collaboration, and in this episode, we focus on how she managed her information during the writ
Louis Rosenfeld on Managing
My guest today is Lou Rosenfeld. Alongside Peter Morville, Lou wrote the seminal book Information Architecture for the World Wide Web — also known as the polar bear book. In 2005, he founded Rosenfeld Media, where he and his team amplify user experience expertise through conferences and books, including my own Living in Information. In this conversation we talk about how Lou manages information to effectively coordinate the various workstreams at his company, including the upcoming Enterprise E
Introduction
This is episode zero of the show, which means I don’t have a guest. Instead, I talk about what we’re going to be doing here: what this show is about and why you may find it valuable to tune in. I also tell you a bit about myself and how I got into this topic, and what I’m planning to do with it. Hope you enjoy it! Listen to the full episode https://theinformeddotlife.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/the-informed-life-episode-0-intro.mp3 Show links Jorge Arango’s blog Information Architecture for