What steps can you take to align conflicting IA design preferences within a cross-functional team?

1 Understand Needs

The first step towards aligning conflicting IA design preferences is to thoroughly understand the needs and goals of your project. Gather information about your users, their behaviors, and how they interact with your product. This user-centric approach ensures that any IA decisions made are grounded in real-world usage, rather than personal preferences. Take the time to collect qualitative and quantitative data that will inform your team's design decisions, bridging the gap between differing opinions with evidence-based insights.

2 Set Objectives

Once you have a clear understanding of user needs, set clear IA objectives that serve as common goals for the team. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). By establishing shared goals, you can shift the focus from individual preferences to collective outcomes. This alignment around a common purpose helps to mitigate conflicts as decisions are then based on whether they contribute to achieving these shared objectives.

3 Facilitate Dialogue

Facilitating open and constructive dialogue is crucial when dealing with conflicting IA design preferences. Encourage team members to express their views and rationale behind their preferences. This not only fosters a culture of respect and collaboration but also allows for a variety of perspectives to be considered. By creating an environment where each voice is heard, you can identify common ground and explore compromises that accommodate different viewpoints while still adhering to the overall project goals.

4 Prioritize Users

It's vital to prioritize user experience above individual design preferences. Remind your team that the primary goal of IA is to make information accessible and understandable for users. Encourage them to make decisions based on what's best for the user, which often requires setting aside personal biases. This user-first approach can serve as a neutral ground for resolving conflicts, as it redirects the conversation towards creating a user-centric IA.

6 Reflect & Adapt

Finally, it's important to reflect on the process and be willing to adapt. After implementing a chosen IA design, gather feedback from users and team members to evaluate its effectiveness. Be prepared to make iterative changes based on this feedback. This continuous improvement mindset ensures that your IA remains user-focused and can adapt to changing needs over time. It also reinforces the idea that IA design is a collaborative and evolving process, which can help reduce resistance to change and align team members around ongoing refinement.