Know Thyself: Understanding and Working with Common IA Personality Traits

Know Thyself: Understanding and Working with Common IA Personality TraitsWorld IA Day 2016 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ashley Deal [a.deal@dezudio.com, @ashleyinpgh]

Raelynn O’Leary [r.oleary@dezudio.com, @RaelynnUX]

Know Thyself: Understanding and Working with Common IA Personality Traits World IA Day 2016 Pittsburgh

We don’t back down from a challenge.

We seek clarity and understanding.

We believe that if we work on it, we can make it better.

Passion Competence

“I have come to the realization that what you choose to do should be a combination of what you like to do and what you do well.”

– Richard Saul Wurman

what we do

What We Do

Compare & Categorize Identify the Essential

Establish Patterns

Meet People Where They Are

Spark Insight & Understanding

Build a Narrative

Explain HowProvide Orientation

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

Bruce Robertson/The Diagram Group, Handtools of Arts and Crafts

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

Charles Joseph Minard, Napoleon’s March

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

Harry Beck, London Underground Map

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

Politizane, Wealth Inequality in America

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

Edward Tufte augments illustrations from Markus Bloch’s Ichthyologie

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

ThoughtForm, Medicare Made Clear

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

Eleanor Lutz, Flight Videos Deconstructed

What We Do

Establish Patterns

Build a Narrative

disclaimersThese ideas won’t be 100% true for any of you all of the time.

These attributes might be more or less salient depending on what you’re doing. We’re talking about the you that does IA work.

Even if you don’t identify with the traits we describe, we’re putting them forth as food for thought in hopes that it will stimulate your own self-inquiry.

why we do it

We take satisfaction in order, and we’re detail-oriented.

We are thoughtful and thorough.

We are mediators, diplomats, and peacemakers.

We are confident in our ability to make things better.

Robert S. Donovan, www.flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/

Take Satisfaction in Order; Detail-Oriented

Robert S. Donovan, www.flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/

Take Satisfaction in Order; Detail-OrientedAt Our Best

• Enjoy figuring out how things are supposed to be

• Notice details that others might overlook

• Maintain a balance between understanding the whole and implementing the particulars consistently with exacting detail

David Stock, www.david-stock.com

Take Satisfaction in Order; Detail-Oriented

David Stock, www.david-stock.com

Take Satisfaction in Order; Detail-OrientedPotential Pitfalls

• Might have strong feelings about how things are supposed to be; come off as strong-willed

• Might have difficulty accepting or acknowledging when we’re wrong

• Might find it difficult to trust others, or worry that others’ efforts won’t live up to our own standards

• Might become too critical, looking for what’s wrong rather than what’s right

Clint Mason, www.flickr.com/photos/128967336@N07/

Thoughtful and Thorough

Clint Mason, www.flickr.com/photos/128967336@N07/

Thoughtful and ThoroughAt Our Best

• Patient, curious, inquisitive

• Open to new information while building our own understanding

• Eager to fully understand a new domain

Rachel Gallic, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj2eA3k7Mh4

Thoughtful and Thorough

Rachel Gallic, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj2eA3k7Mh4

Thoughtful and ThoroughPotential Pitfalls

• Might be uncomfortable showing things to others before they are fully fleshed out and resolved

• Might become frustrated once we’ve arrived at an understanding when people disagree with us

• Might become too rigid or get too locked into things being a certain way

Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, www.noahs-ark.org

Mediators, Diplomats, Peacemakers

Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, www.noahs-ark.org

Mediators, Diplomats, PeacemakersAt Our Best

• Understand both sides of a situation; identify the source of misunderstandings or miscommunications

• Able to speak different languages (business, marketing, technology, users)

• Highly empathetic; effective at seeing things how others might see them

• Value peace, harmony, equilibrium; frequently find ways to fill in the gaps and smooth things over

The Internets (origin unknown)

Mediators, Diplomats, Peacemakers

• Might take on more than we should because we’ve inserted ourselves into a situation

• Might make incorrect assumptions or oversimplify what’s really happening; ignore information that doesn’t mesh well with our perspective

• Might move to smooth things over or explain things on behalf of others to alleviate our own discomfort, when it might be better to let things resolve organically

Mediators, Diplomats, PeacemakersPotential Pitfalls

The Internets (origin unknown)

Warner Brothers, Man of Steel

Confident in Ability to Make Things Better

Warner Brothers, Man of Steel

Confident in Ability to Make Things BetterAt Our Best

• Broad skills and interests

• Willing to jump in and figure things out

• Quick study; readily pick up new concepts

Apinoid, www.flickr.com/photos/apionid/

Confident in Ability to Make Things Better

Apinoid, www.flickr.com/photos/apionid/

Confident in Ability to Make Things BetterPotential Pitfalls

• Might overstep bounds—get ourselves involved in things we don’t have to be

• Might become resistant if we feel like others are being too prescriptive

• Might create internal pressure or have strong feelings of responsibility for being the one who fixes things; that pressure can stifle creativity and impede relationships

strategies

• Choose your battles wisely. - How far along are you in the process?

- What’s the likelihood of your solution being implemented?

- How much work will it take?

- Is there a moral or ethical component, or a principle that you want to uphold?

- Is there a potential to damage personal relationships?

- How bad will it be if it doesn’t get implemented the way that you want it to?

Dealing with Personality PitfallsStrategies

• Choose your battles wisely.• Be careful what you sign up for.• Share your work early and often.• Presume value even when it’s not obvious.• Cultivate the skill of giving feedback.• Value progress as much as perfection.

Dealing with Personality PitfallsStrategies

thank you.

Know Thyself: Understanding and Working with Common IA Personality Traits

Design

Transcript of Know Thyself: Understanding and Working with Common IA Personality Traits

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