What do you do if logical reasoning fails to guide your decision-making in information architecture?

When you're knee-deep in the world of information architecture (IA), you rely heavily on logical reasoning to make decisions that shape the structure of information systems. But what happens when logic alone doesn't cut it? There might be moments when the data conflicts or doesn't provide a clear direction. In such cases, it's crucial to have alternative strategies that can guide you to make informed decisions that benefit the user experience and meet business objectives.

1 Trust Intuition

Sometimes, the answer lies beyond the realm of logic, in the gut feelings that are informed by your experience and understanding of human behavior. When logical reasoning hits a wall, trusting your intuition can provide a new perspective. This doesn't mean making arbitrary choices but rather drawing upon your subconscious synthesis of past experiences and patterns in IA. It's like connecting the dots in a new way, allowing for innovative solutions that might not be immediately apparent through logic alone.

Add your perspective

Elijah Szasz

From stuck to unstoppable—in 21 days.
Report contribution
Trusting your intuition can be a powerful strategy in Information Architecture (IA) when logical reasoning alone doesn't provide clear direction. This approach leverages your subconscious ability to synthesize past experiences, knowledge, and understanding of human behavior, offering insights that logical analysis might miss. Intuition isn't about making arbitrary decisions but about allowing your deep-seated experiences and the patterns you've observed to guide you, potentially leading to innovative solutions. It's a method of connecting the dots differently, uncovering new paths that logic might not reveal, and fostering creativity and breakthroughs in your IA work.

Like

2 Seek Perspectives

Collaboration is key in IA, and when you're stuck, reaching out to colleagues can be invaluable. Different perspectives can shed light on aspects of the problem that you might not have considered. Discussing the issue with team members, stakeholders, or even users can bring diverse insights that enrich the decision-making process. It's not about finding someone to make the decision for you, but about expanding your understanding through dialogue.

Add your perspective

3 Revisit Goals

When logical reasoning falters, revisiting the core goals of the project can realign your focus. Understanding the primary objectives of the information system allows you to evaluate decisions based on their contribution to these goals. Sometimes, a step back is needed to view the larger picture, ensuring that the choices you make serve the overarching purpose of the IA, rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae.

Add your perspective

4 Embrace Uncertainty

Uncertainty is an inherent part of any creative process, including IA. When logical paths don't lead to clear answers, embracing this uncertainty can be empowering. It allows you to explore options that might initially seem risky or unconventional. By accepting that there isn't always a right or wrong answer, you open up a space for creativity and innovation that strict logic might not accommodate.

Add your perspective

5 Prototype Solutions

Prototyping potential solutions is a practical way to move forward when logic isn't enough. Creating models or simulations of how the information structure will work in practice can reveal strengths and weaknesses that aren't obvious in theory. It's a hands-on approach that lets you test different scenarios and directly observe their impact, which can often lead to a more informed decision-making process.

Add your perspective

Felipe Schneider 🧉

Unlock Peak Performance & Cost Efficiency: We provide Expert DBA Services, monitoring, Observability and FinOps (cost and infra optimization)
Report contribution
Todos tenemos opiniones, pero cuando elaboramos un prototipo y lo ponemos a prueba podemos reforzar nuestra idea con hechos. A veces se pueden implementar soluciones basadas en test A/B para validar diferentes opiniones de forma objetiva

Translated

Like

6 Reflect on Experience

Your own experiences can be a goldmine of insights when logical reasoning falls short. Reflecting on past successes and failures within IA projects can guide your intuition and decision-making. It's about recognizing patterns and outcomes from previous work and applying those lessons to the current challenge. This reflection can provide clarity and confidence when charting a course through uncertain waters.

Add your perspective

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Kirk Keller

Helping higher education connect technology to strategy (Opinions my own)
Report contribution
Be prepared to show impacts of the architecture. By this point, you should have a catalog of desired business outcomes driving your project. Show the impact of your architecture to those outcomes. You should also, by this point, have a catalog of design principles to which all have agreed. Does the design violate those principles. Remind all involved why those principles were adopted. Always bring the architecture back to impact on business and support.

Like
Stephen Channell

C#/F#/C++ Architect/Developer
Report contribution
There are two general cases for logical reasoning: logic does not find any solution, or finds many indistinguishable solutions. For 'any', revisit objectives For 'many', revisit method

Like

What do you do if logical reasoning fails to guide your decision-making in information architecture?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Trust Intuition

2 Seek Perspectives

3 Revisit Goals

4 Embrace Uncertainty

5 Prototype Solutions

6 Reflect on Experience

7 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Information Architecture

More relevant reading

What do you do if logical reasoning fails to guide your decision-making in information architecture?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Trust Intuition

2 Seek Perspectives

3 Revisit Goals

4 Embrace Uncertainty

5 Prototype Solutions

6 Reflect on Experience

7 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills