Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Second Edition

Information Architecture Specialists

These general discussions about the role, value, and qualifications of information architects are worthwhile but incomplete. The community of information architects is experiencing what evolutionary biologists call a period of “punctuated equilibrium” marked by rapid change and specialization.

Particularly in large organizations, people who began as all-purpose information architects are gravitating towards specialized niches that match their strengths to their organization’s needs. Here are just a few of the titles that already exist today:

• Thesaurus Designer

• Search Schema Content Editor

• Metadata Specialist

• Information Architecture Strategist

• Vice President, Information Architecture

There are so many possible variations and so many different facets. For example, information architects can specialize by:

• Industry lines (e.g., financial services, automotive)

• Functional department (e.g., human resources, engineering, marketing)

• Type of system (e.g., intranets, web sites, extranets, online magazines, digital libraries, software, online communities)

• Audience (e.g., small business owners, elementary school teachers, rocket scientists, teenagers, grandparents)

As our use of networked information environments grows, the possibilities for specialization are unlimited and unpredictable. We’re watching evolution in fast-forward. This is part of what makes it so much fun to be part of the information architecture community.