Comments on: Why you shouldn’t start IA with a Content Inventory

By: Ethos Blog » Blog Archive » IA Information Architecture Deliverables

Ethos Blog » Blog Archive » IA Information Architecture Deliverables — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:50:26 +0000

[...] artifact (often a spreadsheet) is a sign of due diligence. Doing a Content Inventory by Jeff Veen Why You Shouldn’t by Leisa Reichelt The Rolling Content Inventory by Lou [...]

By: Elle

Elle — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:45:13 +0000

I partially disagree. I think the IA exercise and the content inventory should be done simultaneously, and information architects should work with content strategists as they develop an IA. Why? Because in my most recent experience, IA done without an inclination of what’s possibly buried deep (and could be valuable!) might be completely missed by the IA. Thus no overarching category(ies) are created for the unknown content.

By: alex morris

alex morris — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:12:13 +0000

I agree with the initial post but with one caveat – at some point during the process some kind of content “list” needs to be created. for legacy projects i always insist client produces this and avoids any attempt at categorising content – thus forcing me to ask questions, edit and kill content and then start a qualified IA process based on prior learnings from user/business needs.
for a brand new project its kinda moot as we’re starting with a clean slate so you can come at the task and create a list based on recommendation and learning.
this would need to be quite a way down the line of any process though to come at the problem with any kind of understanding.

By: Begrepp Information Arkitektur Modell Metod Process » Informationskartläggning och innehållsinventering

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:01:25 +0000

[...] Har i veckan stött på begreppet innehållsinventering (Content Inventory) som innebär att man gör en inventering av innehållet på en webbplats. Se Adaptive Paths artikel om hur man gör en innehållsinventering, komplett med förslag till mall i excel. Stötte också på ett blogginlägg om varför man inte ska göra en sådan inventering innan man börjar designa en webbplats. Detta inlägg verkar ha gett upphov till en diskussion som bland annat visar på en viss begreppsförvirring kring exakt vad som avses med en innehållsinventering. Min tolkning av "resultatet" är att det finns åtminstone tre ambitionsnivåer: [...]

By: Ben Buchanan

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 06:11:58 +0000

The way I express this is that we should whitelist web content (more detail in blog post). Basically people get too tied down into "what should we keep" that they tend to keep more than they need. I think it's better to start with "what do our users actually need" and start filling in from there.

By: Jeff Parks

Jeff Parks — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:45:04 +0000

Peter makes a strong point, Leisa. The ideal world would be…well…ideal. It would be great if every project came with a clearly defined end state with everyone in every department on board. That’s a rare event, from my experience. Though working with smaller organizations in the past, I have “bore witness” to the ideal world; and the capacity of both people and technology in this world is, for lack of a better word, awesome!

In most cases though, this ideal world does not exist. Regardless of the method you choose – doing a content inventory or not – I think it’s important to keep in mind what the end state of your work will be. I ask the simple question of “What is the purpose of your Internet?” to everyone involved. This generally leads to very different answers from different departments. If possible, I bring all those people into a room and outline the various answers to that question (without labeling who gave what answer). This shows the disconnect and the need for a common vision. If we can work collectively to create that vision, a content inventory is sometimes unnecessary.

If there is still no common end state, I might suggest a content inventory as a solution to helping provide that answer. This becomes theirs and my “end state”. I know I am working towards a possible solution whose purpose is to help the organization answer the question of “What is the purpose of OUR Internet?” with a collective and agreed upon response. In turn the content inventory becomes easier to accomplish, as I know there is value in the work I am taking on.

This is just one example of defining the end state – as per my last comment.

Does that make sense? Do you agree with this philosophy? Have you or others tried other approaches to this kind of work?

Cheers!
Jeff

By: To content inventory or not to content inventory? (continuing conversations) at disambiguity

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 06:02:12 +0000

[...] Recently I suggested that starting a project with a content audit was not necessarily the best approach. [...]

By: leisa.reichelt

leisa.reichelt — Sat, 20 May 2006 09:30:08 +0000

hey Jeff, thanks for your feedback. I’m agreeing with what you’re saying… I’m certainly not ‘anti-content inventory’, I guess I was just trying to say that it shouldn’t be the very first thing that you do.

You say: “it helps me to stay focused by determining end state you are trying to accomplish. Knowing that there is a specific purpose(s) for this work helps to keep me focused and excited about the final outcome.”

This kind of agrees with the approach of not doing the content inventory first. I’d be interested to hear what do you do to determine that end state and do you have any tips on how to keep focussed on it?

By: thingness » Blog Archive » Information Architects & Experience Architects: different approaches

Thu, 18 May 2006 03:22:32 +0000

[...] An interesting debate has been raging about using content inventories at the start of IA, over on Leisa Reichelt’s blog. The debate, I think, stems from fact that Information Architects come out of different disciplines, and have different focuses for their work (this focus is driven, too, by the type of sites they work on.) [...]

By: Jeff Parks

Jeff Parks — Mon, 15 May 2006 11:39:11 +0000

I have found that the choice of a content inventory or a content audit really depends on the scope of the project. (As Donna mentioned in a recent email on the IAI post).

It is a lot of work to do a content audit, without question. And I understand what you’re saying about losing the excitement for the project, Leisa, as that same feeling has happened to me buried in 10 years worth of unorganized content; its mind numbing after a while.

Before starting a content inventory, it helps me to stay focused by determining end state you are trying to accomplish. Knowing that there is a specific purpose(s) for this work helps to keep me focused and excited about the final outcome.

With respect to a content audit, I think the key for a successful audit is to also sit with the content creators and talk with them about how what they publish supports the business and their objectives.

Also, looking to web analytics and seeing where the end users are finding information and how they get to what the business believes is the most critical elements of this content is another means of supporting the audit.

Just a few thoughts from my experiences…

Cheers!
Jeff