Section 13.2. A World of Choice

13.2. A World of Choice

A wonderful aspect of life in the 21st century is our freedom as consumers to choose what we want. In education, awareness of the rich array of opportunities is a key to success. Never before have there been so many different ways to learn. This is especially true in fields like information architecture that have become early adopters of Internet technologies for communication and collaboration. Resources and methods for learning include:

Experience

There's no substitute for the time-tested method of learning by doing. Most of today's information architects learned their craft on the job. Volunteering at a nonprofit organization or building a personal web site can jump-start beginners.

Apprenticeship

The fastest and most reliable way to move from novice to expert is to work closely with someone who's already an expert. Try to find a mentor who's willing to share his tacit knowledge.

Formal education

As the field matures, we expect that growing numbers of information architects will seek and find formal education. Ultimately, employers will prefer candidates with a blend of education and experience. We tackle this important topic in the next section.

Conferences and seminars

Whether you're searching for a quick introduction or an in-depth study, you'll find all sorts of courses, workshops, and seminars offered by universities, conferences, and consulting firms. If you have to choose just one, we recommend the annual ASIS&T Summit (http://iasummit.org/).

Literature

The volume of books and articles relevant to information architecture is staggering. If you look carefully, you can also find research reports, survey results, and sample deliverables.

Communities

Professional associations and online communities offer great ways to learn about best practices and network with people in the field. Online discussion lists are often a good place to begin.

News and opinion

News feeds and blogs that cover information architecture and experience design can also be invaluable for keeping up with the latest people and ideas.

While it's impossible to be comprehensive, we have provided selective pointers to education resources in the Appendix. This guide to essential information architecture resources should get you started on your quest to learn more.