views:

113

answers:

4

I've came accross this concept several times and did not find a clear explanation. What is it? What has it to do with programming? What has it to do with what we (software engineeers / programmers) call architecture? How can it help me? How can I put this to work for me? How is the professional that best understand this subject called?

+3  A: 

It's a concept dual to systems architecture, except the approach is centered on information itself, not on the system that processes the information.

vartec
+1  A: 

The art of deciding what information you want to present/manage and how to go about organizing it; reference Wikipedia article.

tvanfosson
+1  A: 

From Wikipedia, Information Architecture is:

"The art of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems." Examples include library systems, databases, Content Management (CMS) Systems, web development, user interactions, enterprise architecture, and critical system software design.

NoahD
+1  A: 

During the .COM boom information architecture was a 'vital' part of every web dev pitch. It showed you'd read the book. In my experience these days, it is less explicit, most web developers and content managers inherently understand that information must be arranged and presented in a coherent fashion to make sense to the user. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has noticed the phrase being used less and less.

MrTelly