A really useful and interesting article in Digital Web Magazine which comments on the task of selling user-centred IA.
The problem with ?selling information architecture? is that too often it is assumed that people want Web sites, or that people want wireframes, or a content matrix, or a taxonomy. People don?t want any of these things, even though they say that they want them or might think that they need them.
The article covers some interesting topics on what clients and don’t want, and also on what they think they want. The important lesson here is to educate.
What people do want is a way to decrease abandoned shopping carts, to increase inquiries gathered through the Web site, to reduce calls to customer service, to increase ad impressions, or to provide information to help employees become more efficient. Almost all of the time, people want things that will lead to increased revenue or decreased cost. Having a Web site, and having information architecture involved in that Web site, is just a means to an end.
The article was written Jeff Lash, Information Architect for Mastercard International. His personal website is : http://jefflash.com/
More can be found at the Digital Web Mag article here ::: http://www.digital-web.com/columns/ianythinggoes/ianythinggoes_2003-02.shtml