2021-02-08

2021-02-08 Monday - Information Architecture Abuse

 While this video is intended to humorously show the tension between developers and QA - it also works as a great illustration of an abuse of Information Architecture.

 Two of the comments posted on this YouTube video are noteworthy:

  • "user feedback would result in removal of all other holes."
  • "Who said it was a fail? If they buy and use it however they want while still being happy! I think that's a win."

My Commentary:

A counter-argument. Imagine a screen with a dozen data entry fields - and one is a comment box. Imagine the chaos that ensues - if the user happily and merrily just enters values into that - instead of some of the correct/intended fields.

Some of the worst "knots" I've seen in Information Architecture - involved reuse abuse of a comment field - with no consistency in how data is entered, encoded, labeled. 

Overloaded use of a field, while mixing the data types,  reusing the same field for multiple purposes, etc. - eventually leads to a Gordian Knot - of epic proportions....


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