Social Networks and the emerging
IA
strategic role of
Idris Mootee
www.mootee.typepad.com
March 2007 Part One of Two

Social networks aren’t not the whole story…
As they grow and transform into active, collaborative
and connected communities…. a new system will
emerge at a new level of scale.

NEXT
The new system of influence possesses qualities and
capacities that were unknown to all of us.

SHIFT
The new system of influence is very powerful. They
are the properties of the system, not any individual or
groups. But once there, individuals posses them.

DISRUPTION
This is the a form of self-organization happening out
there. No question that it will be disruptive in nature.
The foundation has now been laid. New roles will
emerge, networks will extend their boundaries.

QUESTIONS
What keeps a network alive and growing?
What build authorities?
What behavior interferes with the network?

What is the role of the IA?

IA is still about bringing order to chaos

IA is still about structuring flow of information

Interactions
Information Portability
Presentation

Consumer generated content makes IA’s job challenging

Think about bringing everything hidden behind onto a screen

IA’s role now going beyond organizing and presenting

Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected
devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most
of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering
software as a continually-updated service that gets better the
more people use it, consuming and remixing data from
multiple sources, including individual users, while providing
their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by
others, creating network effects through an \"architecture of
participation,\" and going beyond the page metaphor of Web
1.0 to deliver rich user experiences
— Tim O’Reilly

IA 1.0
Interface
Wireframes
Information Architecture
Metadata Structure
Content Taxonomy
Users Content Context

IA 2.0
Individual
and Social
Interactions
Searchability
Interactions Architecture
Service Design
Content Taxonomy
Users Content Context

What is the nature of the online community /
communities that you belong to?
2005 2006
50%
Percent of online community members
37.7%
40%
31.7%
30%
24.4%
20%
1 5 .8 %
9 .4 %
10% 7 .2 % 6.3%
5 .2 %
4.5%
1.5%
1 .0 % 0 .0 %
0%
S oc ial H obby - P rofes s ional P olitic ally - S piritual R elations hip-
oriented oriented oriented
N a tu re o f O n lin e C o m m u n ity
Source: Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg School 2007

Nature of Communities
Communities Communities
of Support of Purpose
Communities
of Practice Communitie
s of Passion
Communities
of Interest

High
Co-Creation
Mesh-up
Decentralization
The Network
Effects
Portability
Impact
User
The Read-Write
Contributions
Webpage
The Long Tail
Low
Time

Aggregation Microstructure Participation
• Collecting • Simple content • Mesh-up
structured and models for
• Remix
unstructured common info
• Micro-rewards
chunks
data across the
• Instant
network • Microformats,
transmedia
• RSS structured
activities
blogging
generic content
model • Rich media

IA area of practice (yesterday)
Users
IA
Content Context

IA area of practice (today)
Social
Connections
Users
IA
Context
Content

From Information Architects to..
Social
Interactions
Architects

Business
Content Application
Information Information
Architects Architects
Design
Design and
Service
Structure
Layer
Content
Social
Content
Interactions and
Information
Information
Architects
Architects
Social

End of part one
www.mootee.typepad.com