You’re an Information Architect who needs to improve team collaboration. What are your best options?

As an information architect, you design the structure and organization of digital products and services. You create user-friendly and intuitive navigation, labels, categories, and metadata. You also collaborate with other professionals, such as developers, designers, content writers, and stakeholders. But how do you ensure that your team works effectively and efficiently on your information architecture projects? Here are some of the best options you can use to improve your team collaboration.

1 Use a common language

One of the challenges of information architecture is that it involves different disciplines and perspectives. You may have to communicate with people who have different backgrounds, goals, and terminologies. To avoid confusion and misunderstanding, you need to use a common language that everyone can understand and agree on. This means defining and documenting the key terms, concepts, and principles of your information architecture. You can use tools like glossaries, style guides, and vocabularies to create a shared language for your team.

Add your perspective

Elijah Szasz

From stuck to unstoppable—in 21 days.
Report contribution
Navigating the multidisciplinary landscape of Information Architecture (IA) necessitates clear communication across diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The key to bridging this gap is establishing a common language accessible to all team members, irrespective of their specializations. By meticulously defining and documenting essential terms, concepts, and principles specific to your IA project, you can mitigate misunderstandings. Employing tools such as glossaries, style guides, and controlled vocabularies helps in crafting this shared language, ensuring consistency and clarity in communication. This approach not only streamlines project workflows but also enhances collaboration and efficiency within the team.

Like
Wing Wong

👋 Senior SRE | Cloud Infrastructure | Full-Stack Support | CI/CD | Automation
Report contribution
Developing a skill/knack for breaking down concepts to diferent degrees to suit the audience is key to effective communication. I would add that this should be a given, but can be forgotten from daily work with peers who work with the same concepts. This is something which takes time to develop and I found that Ted Talks showcases people doing just that. Worthwhile to consider modelling others in this regard while determining the level of commonality of your language to employ. I would add that tone can also make or break your ability to collaborate with other teams. I have seen what otherwise would have been productive meetings turn into debates due to one individual's tone carrying a certain attitude that was not well received by others.

Like

2 Establish clear roles and responsibilities

Another challenge of information architecture is that it often overlaps with other aspects of design and development. You may have to coordinate with multiple teams and stakeholders who have different expectations and requirements. To avoid duplication and conflict, you need to establish clear roles and responsibilities for your team. This means defining and communicating the scope, objectives, and deliverables of your information architecture. You can use tools like project plans, roadmaps, and RACI matrices to assign and monitor the roles and responsibilities of your team.

Add your perspective

Wing Wong

👋 Senior SRE | Cloud Infrastructure | Full-Stack Support | CI/CD | Automation
Report contribution
With regards to establishing clear roles and responsibilities, I would add that buy-in and support from upper management and leadership is incredibly important with regards to communicating, working, and resolving issues effectively. Whatever roles and responsibilities get decided should be documented and reviewed together(SOP, SLA, etc.). It is important to not set expectations regarding roles and responsibilities but also get buy-in on those expectations. Otherwise, disagreements will arise down the road due to divergent understandings.

Like

3 Share your vision and strategy

A third challenge of information architecture is that it requires a holistic and strategic approach. You have to consider the big picture and the long-term goals of your digital product or service. You also have to align your information architecture with the user needs, business goals, and technical constraints. To ensure that your team is on the same page and working towards the same vision, you need to share your vision and strategy for your information architecture. You can use tools like personas, scenarios, user journeys, and sitemaps to illustrate and communicate your vision and strategy to your team.

Add your perspective

4 Solicit and provide feedback

A fourth challenge of information architecture is that it involves constant iteration and evaluation. You have to test and refine your information architecture based on user feedback, analytics, and best practices. You also have to incorporate the feedback and suggestions of your team members and stakeholders. To ensure that your information architecture is effective and user-friendly, you need to solicit and provide feedback for your information architecture. You can use tools like surveys, interviews, card sorting, tree testing, and wireframes to collect and share feedback for your information architecture.

Add your perspective

5 Use collaborative tools

A fifth challenge of information architecture is that it requires collaboration across different platforms and channels. You may have to work with remote or distributed teams who use different tools and systems. You also have to manage and update your information architecture across multiple devices and formats. To ensure that your information architecture is consistent and accessible, you need to use collaborative tools for your information architecture. You can use tools like Google Docs, Slack, Trello, Miro, and Figma to create and edit your information architecture collaboratively.

Add your perspective

Wing Wong

👋 Senior SRE | Cloud Infrastructure | Full-Stack Support | CI/CD | Automation
Report contribution
Don't re-invent the wheel here. Most every organization has a tool in play. Not everyone likes it, but everyone has access and uses it. I have watched collaborations lose weeks if not months of productivity to complaints about how bad existing tools are... and the list of acceptable tools to use... which becomes and action item and its own full blown investigative project. Use tools which the bulk of the collaboration teams use. Any tools that one team uses and others don't... can be adopted. Switching to brand new tools will result in two things: 1. Long meetings spent discussing the pros and cons of said tools. 2. End up using the originally disliked tool AND the new tool. Don't re-invent the wheel.

Like

6 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

You’re an Information Architect who needs to improve team collaboration. What are your best options?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use a common language

2 Establish clear roles and responsibilities

3 Share your vision and strategy

4 Solicit and provide feedback

5 Use collaborative tools

6 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Information Architecture

More relevant reading

You’re an Information Architect who needs to improve team collaboration. What are your best options?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use a common language

2 Establish clear roles and responsibilities

3 Share your vision and strategy

4 Solicit and provide feedback

5 Use collaborative tools

6 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills