Information Architecture Summit 2009

Celebrating our 10th Anniversary: Expanding Our Horizons

The Information Architecture Summit is the premier gathering place for information architects and other user experience professionals. The conference has grown from a special interest group's efforts to define an emerging field to a rich and expanding community of practice shaping and informing multiple disciplines.

The 10th annual IA Summit will be Friday, March 20, 2009 to Sunday, March 22, 2009 at the Peabody Memphis hotel in Memphis, TN, USA. Pre-conference sessions will be held March 18-19. To celebrate both where we have been and our excitement about the future as our field continues to mature, this year's theme will be "Expanding Our Horizons."

We are thrilled to announce that this year's keynote speaker is Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University. Best known for his short video, "The Machine is Us/ing Us", Wesch is a cultural anthropologist and media ecologist exploring the impacts of new media on human interaction. Wesch's videos are part of his broader efforts to pursue the possibilities of digital media to extend and transform the way ethnographies are presented. Wesch's keynote will open the conference on Friday, March 20.

This year's closing plenary speaker is Jesse James Garrett, co-founder and president of Adaptive Path. Jesse is one of the world's most widely recognized technology product designers. At Adaptive Path, Jesse supports the company's designers and strategists with creative guidance and helps them advance the company's thought leadership position. His book, The Elements of User Experience, has been called "brilliant" and "essential" and is considered one of the seminal works on user-centered design. Jesse's talk will conclude the conference on Sunday, March 22.

There are several ways that your company can support and become involved in the 2009 IA Summit. From an ad in the program, to space to interact with attendees, to flyers in the registration pack, to sponsorship, you will want to engage with the leaders in the information architecture field.

Register for the conference and pre-conference sessions before February 7th to save:

Call for Participation

The Information Architecture Summit is a premier gathering place for information architects and all those who touch on IA to discuss, share and learn more about information architecture. Last year's IA Summit attracted well over 600 attendees from a wide range of fields, from 21 countries, and from beginners to experienced IAs.

As this will be the 10th IA Summit, we are seeking proposals for presentations, panels, case studies, research papers, posters and pre-conference seminars, hands-on workshops and consortia that address our theme, Expanding Our Horizons.

Proposals can stretch this theme by looking back over our history, forward into emerging trends, platforms and technologies, in addition to addressing our core IA principles and the business of IA. The theme is wide open for interpretation and we look forward to seeing proposals that explore the field in ways that interest people most, and from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines and functions.

Because user experience design is not just about methods and deliverables, but also about getting results for employers and clients, this year we will have a specific track devoted to business, strategy & management.

Building on the tradition from the past two events, we will continue to seek and present research papers that make empirical or theoretical contributions to information architecture. (You do not have to be affiliated with an academic institution to submit a research paper.)

We encourage submissions from both within the field of IA - practitioners, academics and students alike - and the related fields of library science, user experience, interaction design and user-centered design; as well as from those fields and disciplines that go beyond the traditional horizons of IA and the web.

Tracks & Submission types

Pre-conference Sessions

Pre-conference sessions are one-half or one full day sessions available to Summit participants at an additional charge. They take place during the two days prior to the regular Summit program.

This year we're accepting proposals for three kinds of pre-conference sessions:

  • Seminars and Hands-on workshops
  • Consortia

Pre-Conference Seminars and Hands-on workshops

Pre-conference seminars and hands-on workshops both provide an intensive environment for concentrated learning. They may offer core or advanced skills development and/or in-depth introductions to new areas of practice, research, or theory. IA Summit attendees expect a lot from seminars and hands-on workshops. They expect to be inspired, learn in-depth about a topic, and learn practical skills and knowledge to use later. Most prefer an intense half-day session to a relaxed full day session.

Seminars focus on lecture material with exercises to reinfornce key points. Hands-on workshops reverse that, with almost all of the session "learning by doing". We are stressing the submission of hands-on workshops for this year's Summit because past attendess have indicated they prefer this type of learning.

Successful seminar and hands-on workshop submissions will both rate highly on the following:

  • Strong relationship to IA or appeal to information architects
  • Likelihood of attracting attendees
  • A seminar structure that maximizes learning ability
  • A clearly demonstrated understanding of the topic and ability to teach it
  • Degree of interactivity and engagement with attendees

Both submissions must be made via our conference submission system. Please include:

Overview Information (in the proposal form)

  • Title of session
  • Name of presenter(s)
  • Full contact information for the person submitting (the person who will be the sole contact person for the submission)
  • Summary / abstract (up to 500 words)

Description (as an attachment)

  • Detailed description of the seminar
  • Learning objectives
  • Justification for a pre-conference seminar
  • How the seminar will be conducted, including what hands-on exercises are planned
  • Core IA-related issues
  • Audiences
  • Where & when the seminar has been previously conducted
  • Restrictions or conditions
  • Infrastructure / material requirements
  • Seminar agenda / timeline of the session
  • Sample handouts / takeaways
  • Speaker(s) biographical information
  • Any special equipment needed beyond and Internet connection and a projector

Hands-on workshop proposals should have a much stronger emphasis on the exercises that are planned.

A template for pre-conference session proposals contains a more detailed list of information and materials required. You do not have to use this template, but must provide information for each heading above.

Additional materials

One file with materials as needed (create a .zip file if you need to include more than one file)

Pre-Conference Consortia

Consortia are a new type of pre-conference session for the IA Summit. As our field matures, we need to make advances by having experts work together to address specific information architecture issues. If you are passionate about a specific aspect of IA and want to organize a day-long meeting where you can delve into the details with other experts who share your concerns, then you should consider submissing a consortia proposal. In other fields, consortia are often organized by researchers who are interested in defining or expanding upon their common interests. One of these consortia often result in a publication that forms a foundation for that area of research.

We welcome research-focused consortia proposals, but we also interested in practitioner-focused consortia that address complex issues and could result in a publication that other practitioners can benefit from.

Since consortia are new to the IA Summit, and they take a lot of up-front planning, we do not currently have a formal submission process for them. If you are interested in organizing one, please contact us at ckubitsky at gmail dot com.

Some of the components of a consortia that you will have to consider include:

  • What is driving the consortium, the key topic that you are passionate about? How will the field of IA benefit from the output of the consortium?
  • Who else is really interested in this topic, and who specifically would be interested in helping you organize it?
  • What other types of participants would you like to have join you at the consortium, how would you select them, and how many would you want?
  • What would each participant need to do before the consortium in order to contribute (such as write a position statement and be familair with a common reading list)?
  • How would you facilitate the consortium and plan the day so it is effective?
  • How would you share what happened during the consortium? Submitting related IA Summit proposals is recommended, such as a panel or poster (which would be created during the consortium time).

General Session Presentations

The IA Summits are well-known and loved for the sheer range of choice and fluidity of its general sessions. This year we have not only separated out the Research track but also created a special 'Business, strategy & management' track. This does leave the general sessions with a bit of a task though: to meet the eclectic and sometimes odd-ball general interests and needs of IA Summit delegates.

We are therefore leaving these general sessions open and non-prescriptive on topic. So, we want to hear from you if you think you can:
(a) say what you want to say in 35 minutes or less, and
(b) try and keep a bunch of professionals awake and interested for that long, and
(c) in fact, keep them so interested that there'll be a whole 10 minutes of Q&A/discussion at the end of your session, and
(d) have time to think through your idea thoroughly and submit a proposal of 500 words or less, as outlined on the General Session Submissions page, all before November 14, 2008.

We want to hear from those who've never stood up and presented at an IA Summit before as well as from those seasoned presenters that we all know and love. We want to hear from newbies and those longer-in-the-tooth (as well as all those in-between); in fields and disciplines within IA and its close relations of UX, IxD, XD, IS, LIS, BA (and all the other codenames we go by), as well as those already pushing beyond these traditional horizons and should be telling the rest of us all about it.

Basically, if you've read this far we want *you* to submit your idea as either a presentation, a case study, or if you can convince 3 or 4 others to also prepare a detailed discussion on your topic, then a moderated panel submission.

Presentations - 45 minutes, allow time for Q&A
Case Studies - 45 minutes, allow time for Q&A
Panels - 90 minutes of moderated discussion with audience participation

Proposals for a general session will be evaluated separately from the Research and Business, strategy & management track submissions. As in the past, your proposal will be submitted to a blind peer-review process. All submissions must be anonymized as described on the General Session Submission page. No exceptions.

Submit a General Session Proposal

Research papers

Research papers provide an opportunity to present original contributions to the research, theory, and practice of information architecture. Submissions should demonstrate an awareness of relevant literature, both empirical and theoretical, while clearly indicating the importance of the research to IA practice.

At the proposal stage we need a full paper of between 2000 and 5000 words. Your paper will undergo blind peer-review and acceptance will be based on this initial submission. Accepted papers can be revised until mid-January 2009. For this reason, preliminary work can be submitted so long as the research will be completed by the time the final paper is due. Please indicate if your submission is based on preliminary findings.

Although we are seeking original research contributions, this does not mean research contributions must strictly conform to the traditional format for academic research papers. The exact nature and format of the submission lies with the author. However, regardless of the format, research papers should still meet accepted academic standards for quality, clarity, validity, and originality.

For research papers:

  • All research proposals will undergo blind peer-review. Please anonymize your submission by ensuring there are no identifying details in the abstract or actual paper. Author information will be collected separately when you complete the submission form (the submission process is described below). If your submission is accepted, the final paper will include this information.
  • Authors of accepted papers are expected to present their work in a presentation session during the conference. Presentation sessions are generally 45 minutes, but another length can be proposed if appropriate.
  • Accepted papers will be made publicly available on the conference website.

All submissions must be made via our conference submission system (research). When submitting a proposal for a research paper, please include overview information, the full paper, and author details.

Overview Information (in the proposal form)

  • Title of paper
  • Name of author(s): List of all authors for the paper, including name, email address, and affiliated institution/organization.
  • Full contact information for the author submitting the paper: This author will be the sole contact person regarding the paper.
  • Summary / abstract (up to 300 words)

Full paper (as an attachment)

  • Research papers may be submitted in the following formats: Microsoft Word, PDF, Postscript, or RTF.
  • Submissions should be appropriately referenced in APA style as described in the Publication Manual of the AmericanPsychological Association (5th ed., 2001).
  • Your paper should include a title, abstract, and the full text. Papers should be single-spaced, no smaller than 10pt font.
  • Although there is no formal template for research papers, we encourage you to follow the formatting guidelines for the ASIS&T Annual Meeting, but this is not strictly required.

Author details (as an attachment)

  • Speaker Biographies (1 or 2 paragraphs each)

Questions about research submissions can be directed to the chair of the research track, Jason Holmes, jaholmes at kent dot edu.

Submit a Research Paper

Business, strategy and management track

User experience is not just about methods and deliverables. It is about getting results for our employers and clients. That takes more than methods: it takes business savvy, management expertise, and the ability to evangelize and influence decisions. From strategy to daily operations, practitioners are called to take on more business responsibilities.

We are looking for case studies, tools, and techniques that help UX managers and practitioners work better with their teams and their organizations. Tell us your war stories, lessons learned, tips, tricks and so on about the following topics:

  • Developing teams
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Strategy
  • Talking to executives
  • Evangelism and Influence
  • ROI and business value
  • Being a business person
  • Building your own firm
  • Senior management responsibilities
  • MBAs for IAs
  • Building a UX practice
In particular, we are looking for:
  • Presentations - 45 minutes, allow time for Q&A
  • Case Studies - 45 minutes, allow time for Q&A
  • Panels - a 90 minute moderated discussion with 3-5 participants. Be prepared to do lots of homework if you have a panel.
  • Working Sessions - a 90 minute session in which the participants are sub-divided into smaller groups and discuss/work through topics and share with the larger group at the conclusion of the session. E.g. How to organize and structure a UX team? How to increase our impact on business strategy?

All are encouraged to apply including returning speakers, new speakers, seasoned managers, newly minted managers, etc. We particularly are interested in people who come from other disciplines who can help us cross-train in these areas.

Review Process and criteria

Submissions to the management track will be peer-reviewed and evaluated separately from general conference submissions. In particular we are looking for timely and relevant presentations that speak directly to management, business, and strategic issues for UX practitioners.

Preparing your submission

Submissions should be detailed, yet concise. If you cannot explain the topic in 2-3 paragraphs, it is probably not ready for primetime. Please consider submitting it for mentor review prior to submitting it here.

Uploaded documents should be prepared in the following formats: Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or Microsoft PPT.

Your submission should include the following:

  • Name
  • Professional Bio (under 100 words)
  • Current job title, name of current employer
  • Contact Information
  • Topic Title
  • Topic description (3 paragraphs, maximum)
  • Target audience
  • Why this topic should be selected and why you are qualified to deliver it (3 paragraphs, maximum)
Submit a Business/Strategy/Management Track proposal

Posters

We are interested in posters that provide visual demonstrations of information architecture and user experience design ideas, deliverables, and accomplishments. Posters geared toward our Business/Management and Research tracks are also encouraged. We welcome work of a specialized or experimental nature; work concerning new features, design elements, methods, or processes; and works in progress. We encourage work by students, developers, and designers.

Posters are presented in a common room or circulation area, usually over a 90 minute period, during which Summit participants circulate and talk to individual presenters in an informal manner. The posters then remain available to Summit participants for as long as possible. Handouts, interactive elements, and multimedia are common components of poster presentations.

The spirit of the Poster Session is one of inclusiveness. Even if you have never presented at a conference or poster session before, if you follow the submission requirements and have an original, interesting proposal, then your poster will have a good chance of being selected.

Each poster presenter or team is provided with a table for materials and a display space of approximately 3.5 x 7.5 feet (100 x 225 cm). Most people find that a poster of approximately 20 x 30 inches (50 x 75 cm) is a good minimum size. Presenters are required to be available at their posters during the poster session period.

To submit a proposal fora poster please provide a short summary of your idea and brief description of how you plan to communicate your ideas in your poster. Final posters are not due until the Summit begins. A PDF of the final poster will be required for posting on the Summit website.

Submit a Poster

How to submit

Please use our online submission system:

When to submit: Now!

We accepted submissions until November 14th, 2008 (for pre-conference sessions, general sessions and business, strategy & management track). December 12th is the new date for research papers and posters. If accepted we will notify you via email during the first two weeks of January, 2009.