Comments on: boxes and arrows (10 ways that packing up a house is like doing information architecture) http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/ pretty design pending Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:42:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Livia Labate http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-7182 Livia Labate Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:56:33 +0000 http://www.disambiguity.com/2006/06/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-7182 I did Brazil > US two years ago by myself and landed here with 5 suitcases. When I finally installed myself I realized I could have gotten rid of more stuff even (I actually wished I had only brought two small suitcases). It was a great lesson; it was my first big move having lived in the same place since I was 5! Now I'm looking around and I can't believe how much stuff I accumulated again. Eeesh! One big problem with moving is calling it a "move", it sets an expectation that the work is actually porting things from A to B, when in fact the real exercise is rethinking how you live in a different context. It's like making your site available for mobile, you don't just make things WAP-ready, you need to see if it makes any sense to have all of your site available in a telephone. Sooo many parallels... I did Brazil > US two years ago by myself and landed here with 5 suitcases. When I finally installed myself I realized I could have gotten rid of more stuff even (I actually wished I had only brought two small suitcases). It was a great lesson; it was my first big move having lived in the same place since I was 5! Now I’m looking around and I can’t believe how much stuff I accumulated again. Eeesh!

One big problem with moving is calling it a “move”, it sets an expectation that the work is actually porting things from A to B, when in fact the real exercise is rethinking how you live in a different context. It’s like making your site available for mobile, you don’t just make things WAP-ready, you need to see if it makes any sense to have all of your site available in a telephone. Sooo many parallels…

]]> By: leisa.reichelt http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-7178 leisa.reichelt Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:24:38 +0000 http://www.disambiguity.com/2006/06/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-7178 hey Livia, I love your presents analogy, it's spot on :) As it happens, we did move to another country (Australia -> England)... we ended up getting off the plane with about 40kg of luggage each and we've been trying very hard not to accumulate 'stuff' ever since. It is a great exercise in understanding how little you *actually* need to get by quite happily, and how the freedom of 'stuff' also frees you from a kind of residual stress. I like it. hey Livia, I love your presents analogy, it’s spot on :)

As it happens, we did move to another country (Australia -> England)… we ended up getting off the plane with about 40kg of luggage each and we’ve been trying very hard not to accumulate ’stuff’ ever since.

It is a great exercise in understanding how little you *actually* need to get by quite happily, and how the freedom of ’stuff’ also frees you from a kind of residual stress. I like it.

]]> By: Livia Labate http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-7177 Livia Labate Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:13:19 +0000 http://www.disambiguity.com/2006/06/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-7177 Item 4, presents, are like contractual obligations. Sometimes you are pretty solid in your decision about what to include or not and a stakeholder comes in and says you have to put that thingy on the navigation (or that brick-a-brack in your cofee table), because the partner contract (ie wedding, birthday, etc) forced you to have it. You're stuck. On the overall moving situation, try moving to another country. It's a wonderful exercise in letting go. It's like creating a site with bandwidth restrictions - everything must load in less than 3 seconds, even 1000K images. Which may sound back, but allows you to get rid of the brick-a-bracks you've hated for years... Best solution for that problem Item 4, presents, are like contractual obligations. Sometimes you are pretty solid in your decision about what to include or not and a stakeholder comes in and says you have to put that thingy on the navigation (or that brick-a-brack in your cofee table), because the partner contract (ie wedding, birthday, etc) forced you to have it. You’re stuck.

On the overall moving situation, try moving to another country. It’s a wonderful exercise in letting go. It’s like creating a site with bandwidth restrictions - everything must load in less than 3 seconds, even 1000K images. Which may sound back, but allows you to get rid of the brick-a-bracks you’ve hated for years…

Best solution for that problem

]]> By: John S. Rhodes http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-1499 John S. Rhodes Tue, 20 Jun 2006 02:52:51 +0000 http://www.disambiguity.com/2006/06/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-1499 While moving can be a royal pain in the a55 I also think that it can be a wonderful experience. Specifically, assuming you are doing the work yourself, it forces you to carefully consider each and every item you own. You have the opportunity to revisit, relive, and rethink all of your belongings. Also, it gives you a chance to get rid of junk and trash, or otherwise undesirable stuff. Less is more, right? ;-) While moving can be a royal pain in the a55 I also think that it can be a wonderful experience. Specifically, assuming you are doing the work yourself, it forces you to carefully consider each and every item you own. You have the opportunity to revisit, relive, and rethink all of your belongings. Also, it gives you a chance to get rid of junk and trash, or otherwise undesirable stuff. Less is more, right? ;-)

]]> By: Grant http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-1344 Grant Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:29:10 +0000 http://www.disambiguity.com/2006/06/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-1344 I think I have a potential IA for the "present" metaphor - that thing that the CEO wants you to add? Not quite the same, but... mebbe? Ah, well. Good luck with the packing. It always sucks. I think I have a potential IA for the “present” metaphor - that thing that the CEO wants you to add?

Not quite the same, but… mebbe?

Ah, well. Good luck with the packing. It always sucks.

]]> By: Earl Moore http://www.disambiguity.com/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-1342 Earl Moore Tue, 13 Jun 2006 20:57:01 +0000 http://www.disambiguity.com/2006/06/boxes-and-arrows-10-ways-that-packing-up-a-house-is-like-doing-information-architecture/#comment-1342 About three weeks ago we moved our household for the second time in 18 months. A process of eliminating all but the essentials preceded each move. Funny how there were more non-essentials at the second move due no doubt to many possessions falling victim to the "I don't want to move that again" judgment. After arriving at our latest destination and unpacking, our neighbors have made comments as to how clean and empty our garage is while theirs are crammed full of stuff. For the first time in my life I have more storage space then I have things to put in it. A situation not likely to last long. Have fun and good luck! About three weeks ago we moved our household for the second time in 18 months. A process of eliminating all but the essentials preceded each move. Funny how there were more non-essentials at the second move due no doubt to many possessions falling victim to the “I don’t want to move that again” judgment. After arriving at our latest destination and unpacking, our neighbors have made comments as to how clean and empty our garage is while theirs are crammed full of stuff. For the first time in my life I have more storage space then I have things to put in it. A situation not likely to last long. Have fun and good luck!

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