Reflections on IAC2024

Some decisions seem good when you make them, only to be revealed as questionable in retrospect. For example, booking a redeye back to DC from Seattle two months ago doesn’t seem so wise while sitting here hungry at an all but deserted airport.

But other decisions look a hundred times better in retrospect. For example, I just spent four days at the IAC - Information Architecture Conference , the annual, community-driven event for information architecture.

It far exceeded my expectations.?

This was my first in-person conference since the pandemic started. My last one before this mess was UX New Zealand in 2019, so I really thought I was going out on a high note.

But IAC has retained its community charm. Largely put on by volunteers, held together by long-standing traditions, and driven by hand-picked co-chairs and the inestimable Vanessa Foss , being at IAC is like a homecoming.

IAC2024 was the 25th instance of this conference, once known as the IA Summit, whose inaugural meeting was in Boston in 2000. The community has persisted, thanks in part to its stalwart members, pushing through the difficult days of online conferences to keep the flame alive.

And yet attending IAC2024, the flame was no mere ember. Thoughtful presentations, enthusiastic participants, excellent hallway conversations, and the ever-present warmth: it was as if nothing was lost in the intervening years.

Artificial intelligence was (inevitably) our theme. I’m pretty cynical about the technology, but there’s no doubt that the shiny object du jour is an important topic in information architecture. Our role to define the way people interact with information, or with each other through information, means that we cannot ignore it. Speakers pursued the topic diligently, relentlessly, and ruthlessly, offering myriad ways to understand AI and tackle its implementation. Bookended with keynotes by linguist Prof. Emily M. Bender and one of our own, Andy Fitzgerald, PhD , who each examined AI’s ethical and cultural pressures through different lenses.

It was a joy to spend time with Sarah Barrett , Rachel A. Price , and Dana Bublitz from the Microsoft team. I relish every opportunity I get to talk with these folks, and doing so in person cemented how much I adore them. Sarah’s and Rachel’s talks were among the cream of the crop. Sarah broke down the practice of domain-driven design, offering ideas on how to win over developers. Rachel’s case study of a 12-week AI project reminded us that we can and must be ruthless in our skepticism.

There was a strong Washington, DC contingent, as per usual — nearly as many folks from the DMV as from PNW. Jeffrey Ryan Pass 's case study on the free COVID test kit distribution was one of my favorite talks, and Timothy T. Shaw 's talk on dealing with dumpster fire design presentations took a pragmatic lens to a subject near and dear to my heart.

That the IAC actively seeks new voices and contributors is part of its appeal. I have to call out amani anai and Myles W. . They paired a social responsibility framework with a case study about an AI tool for medical professionals. Their presentation was engaging, informative, and thought-provoking. They also offered a rare bright spot for training LLMs to be not quite so harmful.

For me, even with such excellent presentations, the highlight is always seeing people in person. I’m thrilled I could catch up with fellow old-timers Lynn Boyden , Madonnalisa C. , Andrea Resmini , Samantha Bailey Fast, MILS , Adam Polansky , Amy Jiménez Márquez , Jorge Arango , and Alesha Arp . Another delightful surprise was seeing my friend and former colleague Veronica Erb .

My wife encourages me to meet one new person every day. I’m certain I accomplished this and more. It was great to meet Connor Cantrell , Jim Clagett , and Robin Silberling , just to name a few. And thanks to Kyle Soucy 's efforts, I got the opportunity to do one on one mentoring with a few folks.

Many years ago, what started as some casual board gaming in the evenings eventually turned into Game Night, now a staple at IAC along with Karaoke. Organizing Game Night fell to yours truly this year, along with Nathan Rogers . We recruited several game hosts, including Jennifer Long, MBA , Lisa J. Ellis , Stuart Maxwell , Bob Kasenchak , and of course James Melzer . Though I was largely playing host, I did get to play Anomia with Jennifer and A Fake Artist Goes to New York with Sharon Stern and friends. Thanks to all the volunteers who made Game Night a great success. ( Karl Fast you were missed, but your legacy continues!)

Seattle was a perfect location for IAC. The strong presence of University of Washington’s iSchool combined with the active tech scene means there are a lot of locals with a keen interest in IA. Among those is my friend Emily Eagle . We got to know each other in 2023, a tough year for us both, and I was grateful for the opportunity to meet up in person.?

I feel like I’m only halfway done, and I haven’t mentioned more than a fraction of the folks I got to spend time with. But this is already considerably longer than I had planned, and I might have mentioned that I took the redeye.

If you went to IAC, please post your own thoughts or reflections, even if it’s Just One Thing that made an impression.

If you didn’t, consider joining us next year, or even submitting a talk when the time comes. You won’t find a more warm and welcoming community in the industry. I will certainly be there.