How to Make Sense of Any Mess

1. Identify the Mess: Recognize Information and People as Key Components

Information is not a thing. It's subjective, not objective. It's whatever a user interprets from the arrangement or sequence of things they encounter.

Information is interpretive. It's not just data or content, but how users understand and perceive what they encounter. This subjective nature means that the same arrangement can lead to different interpretations based on individual experiences and contexts.

People are complex. Users and stakeholders bring their own contradictions, behaviors, and expectations to any situation. Understanding this complexity is crucial for effective information architecture. Consider:

• User expectations (e.g., digital vs. physical, automation vs. human touch)
• Stakeholder perspectives and interests
• The impact of personal preferences and opinions

2. State Your Intent: Use Language to Define Goals and Direction

The words we choose matter. They represent the ideas we want to bring into the world.

Language shapes intent. The words you use to describe your goals and direction have a profound impact on the outcome. They influence:

• What you create vs. what you don't
• How users perceive and interact with your product or service
• The methods and approaches you'll use to achieve your goals

Balance looking good and being good. While aesthetics are important, they shouldn't overshadow functionality and usefulness. Consider:

• How your choices reflect your intent
• The need for clarity in communicating your message
• The balance between beauty and quality of thought

3. Face Reality: Confront the Complexities of Users, Stakeholders, and Context

By facing reality, we can find solutions.

Embrace complexity. Acknowledging the multi-faceted nature of your situation is the first step towards finding effective solutions. This involves:

• Recognizing fears and potential obstacles
• Understanding the various players involved (users, stakeholders, competitors)
• Considering multiple factors (time, resources, skills, environment, politics, ethics)

Map out the landscape. Use visual tools to better understand and communicate the complexities you're dealing with:

• Create diagrams and maps to represent relationships and structures
• Consider channels and contexts where users interact with your product or service
• Use these visual representations to facilitate discussions and gain insights

4. Choose a Direction: Establish Clear Language and Priorities

Language is the material of intent.

Define your vocabulary. Creating a shared language is crucial for effective communication and decision-making. This involves:

• Developing a controlled vocabulary of key terms and concepts
• Clarifying ambiguous terms and potential misunderstandings
• Documenting the history, alternatives, and myths associated with important terms

Set priorities. With a clear language established, focus on determining the most important aspects of your project:

• Identify key nouns (objects, people, places) and verbs (actions) related to your work
• Create a list of requirements that combine these nouns and verbs
• Prioritize these requirements based on your goals and user needs

5. Measure the Distance: Set Goals and Track Progress with Indicators

Progress is as important to measure as success.

Establish clear goals. Break down your overall intent into specific, measurable objectives. For each goal, consider:

• Intent: What specific results do you want to see?
• Baseline: What's the current state you're measuring against?
• Progress: How will you track movement towards or away from the goal?

Choose relevant indicators. Select metrics that genuinely reflect progress towards your goals. Common indicators include:

• Satisfaction, loyalty, and perception metrics
• Traffic, conversion, and engagement metrics
• Financial metrics (profit, expenses, value)
• Efficiency metrics (time saved, waste reduction)

Set up a measurement system. Create a process for regularly tracking and reviewing your chosen indicators:

• Determine appropriate measurement rhythms (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
• Establish flags or alerts for significant changes
• Use worksheets or other tools to collect data from stakeholders and users

6. Play with Structure: Explore Various Taxonomies and Classifications

There are many ways to structure things.

Understand taxonomies. Taxonomies are the methods we use to organize and classify information. Key concepts include:

• Hierarchical vs. heterarchical structures
• Sequential arrangements
• Use of hypertext to connect disparate elements

Consider facets and classification. Think about the various ways your content can be organized:

• Identify relevant facets (discrete pieces of knowledge for classification)
• Balance exact and ambiguous classifications based on your context
• Consider how your classification choices reflect your intent and audience

Experiment with structures. Don't settle for the first arrangement you create:

• Try multiple approaches (hierarchies, sequences, networks)
• Use simple tools like boxes and arrows to quickly iterate
• Test your structures with users and stakeholders for feedback

7. Prepare to Adjust: Embrace Collaboration and Continuous Refinement

Adjustments are a part of reality.

Collaboration is key. Involving stakeholders and users throughout the process leads to better outcomes:

• Share your work early and often
• Facilitate discussions to address tensions and misunderstandings
• Be open to feedback and willing to make changes

Maintain flexibility. Recognize that your work will evolve as you gain new insights:

• Don't seek finalization; embrace ongoing refinement
• Be prepared to adjust your course as new information becomes available
• Focus on progress rather than perfection

Remember the bigger picture. While details are important, always consider how individual elements contribute to the whole:

• Regularly step back to assess the overall user experience
• Consider how changes in one area might affect others
• Strive for consistency and coherence across all aspects of your work

Last updated: April 8, 2025