Presenting a Roadmap for a European IA Network
A staged approach to realising a Network of IA’s in Europe.
Soren Muus, Wolf H. Nöding, Filip Borloo, Peter J. Bogaards, Peter Boersma, Judit Ponya,
Andrea Resmini, Sylvain Cottong

Presenting the Euro IA Roadmap - Agenda
1. What & Why?
2. Who?
3. Background & History
4. Challenges, Goals & Mission
5. Presentation of the Roadmap
6. Feedback & Discussion
7. Summary & Conclusions

1. What & Why?

What?
Our goals of our project
• To identify common challanges of European IAs
• Find solutions by sharing experience and know how
• Develop a Roadmap and define Actions
• Realise these Actions
• Get more people involved
• Meet, adjust and complete our Roadmap over the coming years
The goals for this panel:
• Get the vibe of the audience
• Get a feedback from the Euro IA Community on the
vision here
• Get a understanding for the core scenarios
• Motivate the participants to continue on with us on this

Why? WE HAVE NO LIFE AND WE LOVE YOU ALL
• Build on the Conference experience
• Community
• Knowledge
• Share more information and knowhow
• Online
• Local and national events
• Promote and position Information Architecture
• Educate future IA’s

Impressions from the workshop
Feedback Cluster from Euro IA 2007

Impressions from the workshop

2. Who?

Presenting the Workshop participants
Soren Muus Wolf H. Nöding Filip Borloo Peter Bogaards
Information Architect Information Architect Information Architect Information Architect
from Denmark from Germany from Belgium from Netherlands
Peter Boersma Andrea Resmini Judit Ponya Sylvain Cottong
Information Architect Information Architect Information Architect Information Architect
from Netherlands from Italy from Hungary from Luxembourg

3. Background/History

Background/History
- Why did we organise a workshop in
Copenhagen to create a Roadmap for the Euro
IA Network?
- What are the goals of the Roadmap?
- Background - 1.Workshop (Soren, Wolf)
- Euro IA 2007 poster presentation, survey
results --> A mission to continue from the
audience

Background & Motivation
- The idea started two Years ago (IA Summit 2006 – Las Vegas)
- It‘s about the people (Information Architects in Europe)
- Preparation – Workshop Sören/Wolf
- Poster-Session at the Euro IA 2007
- Interesting Feedbacks from interested IAs
Poster
IAs in Europe - Small Feedbacks Workshop in Panel
Session at
situation?! workshop from EU IAs Copenhagen Presentation
Euro IA 2007
Invitation of
motivated IAs
Euro IA 2007 Euro IA 2008

Feedback
Background & Motivation clusters from
EU IAs
Grow as a Community (from survey) Establish IA in the Market
IA Standards(?)
Business Awareness Support our Job situation
Evolvement Grow
Because there are 1000 more IT specialists tha
Localistion issues IAs
IA Education More Events & Networking
Help others to understand IA
Communication
Clients work
Job Boards ...
Realise User Orientation

Current Situation
- Registrations at the IAI from each EU-country
- Other initiatives (known workshops, conferences, etc.)
- What ‘s missing for many IAs? (a view over the boarders)
- Chances ...
Netherlands: 14
GB IAs: 110
Denmark IAs: 8
Belgium: 5 Poland: 3
Ceska Rep.: 2
USA IAs:
1041 Hungary: 2
Austria: 1
France: 10 Germany: 67
Italy: 12
Spain: 6

4. Challenges, Goals, Mission statement

Challenges, Goals, Mission statement
Goals
1. To inform and educate people
outside the field. Define and clarify IA
for different target audiences.
Common challenges
1. Confusion - Lack of visibility (outside & inside - 2. To create awareness of IA practices
in the work of other fields and connect
incl.training & branding) them with the IA community &
knowledge.
2. IA practice does excist! But not nesessary
identified as such (enough)
3. To improve (informal) local networking
3. Informal networking thrives. events (on- or offline) (to support the
expansion of the EU network)
4. Competition with institutions and within the
industry.
4. To increase cooperation between
institutions in the field and communities
5. Lack of „Europeanness“ ... & awareness - in the industry
International ... but, not European
Mission Statement
5. To identify and develop an European
dimension of IA (education, research,
market, professional practice, training, ect.)

5. Presenting the Roadmap

5. Presenting the Roadmap
I easy to achieve II work III significant work
A essential 3.5. Website 4.3 Annual 5.8 European 5.14 SWOT 1.9 Blog / 4.5 Increase 5.6. Identify
state of Euro IA Manifesto (per country, articles for cooporation and apply for
= until EuroIA 2008 IA repport European) outsiders between EU Grants
2.2 3.4 Wiki
Coordination = until IASummit 2009 industries in
the field and 5.21 Get
of events 3. 13 4.4 5.9 Permanent 5.16 Assign 1.11 Establish
= until EuroIA 2009 ongoing
Calender of Scenariomap legal structured leaders common
4.9 Get other sponsoring
3.6 = until EuroIA 2010 events s for each of EU organisation Vocabulary
the goals professonal
Coordinate organisations
events (avaid
= until EuroIA 2011
on board,
overlap) approach
4.7 Identify 5.10 Define 5.18 SWOT
the industry our (IA/EU) and identify EU them and get
3.11Create networks USPs specifities, buy in
knowledge value, ...
sharing
thingie to 5.11 Connect 4.12 Present
improve local to the US IAI, at other
networking EMEA, Asia industries
IA initiatives events
B important
2.7 Cross- 3.7 publish a 4.10 Invite 1.2 Share 2.4 Publish 3.10 4.11 Invite 5.4 Create 1.1 train & 2.5 ...seeking 3.9 Training 4.1 Set up 5.5. C
fertilization of „how to„ others(organi case studies tips & tricks Exchange others (outside OPML file for coach out potential events IAI Jobboard to rela
other manual for sations, IAs) speakers at community) to EU IA info speakers IA (involved) branded & initiati
networks local events to connect events present at our businesses localised
1.4 increase/ 2.6 get EU IA events 1.5 Define 5.12 P
build/acquire speakers on 5.13 Invite EU (quality article
3.12 Publish 3.17 target
credibility other events thinkers on standards 2.1 Facilitate Euro I
Articles specific
trough in other EU IA IA camps (conf.
(Press regions
branding conference(s)
industries Releases)
(from outside
our field) 5.1 De
1. 10 Present 3.8 Facilitate, metho
at other support and techni
5.17 Create EU iss
industry have local
regular input
events events and
from differnt
activities
countries
1.12 Initiate
Marketing
C nice to have
1.6 Whitepapers 3. 14 4.2 Share 5.2 Create 1.3 develop 2.3 EU 5.20 Award
3.1 Xing/ Ning 3.16 Ning on IA Barcamps stories, Euro IA pool of Awards (incl EU IA of the
community network, methodologies failures, poster speakers PR en media year(person,
branded aims successes, ... coverage) job, company)
Calendar business
benefits 5.7 Create 1.7 create
Job postings
borders with 4.6 mentoring EU IA Logo buzz
other
3.3 Learn resources other disciplines (possibly
from other promote across
succesful formal and industries)
5.3 Register 1.8 Infocamps
network informal ia.eu
meetings

Planned Achivments IASummit Until EuroIA Until EuroIA Until EuroIA
Until EuroIA 2008 2009 2009 2010 2011
= Support networking activities 1.6 Whitepapers on 1.11 Establish 1.8 Infocamps 1. Inform and
IA methodologies common educate people
= Set up an organisation Aims business Vocabulary
benefits borders with 1.2 Share case
outside the field.
= Support of events other disciplines
1. 10 Present at studies Define and clarify
other industry IA for different
= Publication Plattforms 1.12 Initiate events 1.1 train & coach
Marketing speakers
target audiences.
1.4 increase/
= Facilitate Connectivity with other fields build/acquire 1.5 Define quality
credibility trough standards
= Swot Analysis and reporting branding
= Facilitate EU IA job situation 1.9 Blog / articles
for outsiders
= Support Mentoring Programm
2.5 ...seeking out 2.1 Facilitate IA 2. Create
2.4 Publish tips &
1.7 create buzz potential IA tricks camps awareness of IA
(involved)
businesses
practices in the
2.3 EU Awards
2.7 Cross- (incl PR en
work of other fields
2.2 Coordination fertilization of and connect them
2.6 get EU IA media coverage)
of events other networks
speakers on with the IA
other events in
other industries community &
Pains/Issues we have identified
knowledge
Current Itentified Challenges/
3.16 Ning 3.9 Training 3. Improve
3.6 Coordinate 3.3 Learn from events IAI
network, branded
3.4 Wiki
events (avaid
Calendar 3.8 Facilitate,
other succesful branded & (informal) local
overlap) network localised
Job postings support and have networking events
3.1 Xing/ Ning other resources local events and
community
3.5. Website
promote formal activities (on- or offline) (to
3.17 target
3. 14 Barcamps and informal
specific regions 3.11Create support the
meetings
3.7 publish a
3.10 Exchange knowledge expansion of the
speakers at sharing solution
„how to„ manual 3.12 Publish events to improve local EU network)
for local events Articles (Press networking
Releases)
3. 13 Calender of
events
4.4 4.7 Identify the 4.12 Present at
4.1 Set up
Scenariomaps for industry networks Jobboard
4.5 Increase other industries
4.6 mentoring 4. Increase
each of the goals cooporation events
4.10 Invite between industries
(possibly across cooperation
industries)
others(organisati in the field and ... 4.2 Share stories, between
ons, IAs) to failures, institutions in the
connect successes, ...
field and
4.3 Annual state 4.11 Invite others
of Euro IA (outsidecommunity) 4.9 Get other communities in the
professonal
repport to present at our
organisations on industry
events
5.8 European IA board, approach
5.10 Define our 5.12 Publish them and get buy
Manifesto (IA/EU) USPs articles on Euro 5.9 Permanent in
IA (conf.blog?) legal structured EU
5.2 Create Euro 5.4 Create OPML organisation
IA poster file for EU IA info 5.14 SWOT (per 5.11 Connect to 5.21 Get ongoing
5.13 Invite EU 5. Mission
5.6. Identify and thinkers on EU IA
country, European) apply for EU the US IAI, sponsoring conference(s) Statement: Find and
5.7 Create EU IA EMEA, Asia IA
Logo
5.3 Register ia.eu Grants
initiatives
(from outside our define the European
field)
5.18 SWOT and 5.16 Assign
identify EU leaders
dimension of IA,
5.17 Create
specifities, value, regular input from education, research,
5.1 Develop
differnt countries
methods and
market, professional
5.20 Award EU
techniques for 5.5. Connect to IA of the
practice, training ...
EU issues related EU year(person, job,
initiatives company)

5. Presenting the Roadmap
The Euro IA Network Initiative - Identified „activity tracks“ to facilitate the achievment of the Goals
Activity track 01 - „Support the Networking activities!“ (Wolf and Soren)
> Establish communication plattforms > Barcamp > Create Knowledge sharing solution
Activity track 02 - „Set up an organisation“ (Soren, Filip, Sylvain, Wolf)
> Euro IA manifesto > Initiate Marketing > Get ongoing EU/company sponsoring > partnerships
Activity track 03 - „Support of events“ (workshops, conferences, ...) (Peter B and Andrea)
> Support/coordinate events > publish „how to manual“ > connect to other industry events
Activity track 04 - „Publication Plattforms - Awarenesss of Euro IA Community (Publications, Jobboard)“
(Peter JB, Filip, Wolf, and Soren)
> Start Blog/Website/... > Job Postings > Publish Articles/Press Releases > Publish Tips and Tricks
Activity track 05 - „Facilitate Connectivity with other fields of profession“ (Sylvain, Judit)
> Identify Industry Networks > Seeking potential IA Businesses > Crossfertilization of other networks
> Present at other industrie events... > Connect to the US IAI, EMEA, Asia IA ...
Activity track 06 - „Swot analysis and Reporting“(Soren, Peter B, and Peter JB)
> ...Define our USPs > SWOT per European country > Annual state report (situation, jobs, salaries, ...)
Activity track 07 - „Facilitate EU IA Job situation exchange/sharing“ (Peter B and Wolf)
> Set up Job board
Activity track 08 - „Mentoring/training programm“ (Andrea, Judit)
> Establish knowledge sharing > train&coach speakers > share stories/failiures successes

Topics for the Euro IA presentation
.HU
.IT
.BE Let‘s redraw the
.ES .NO European IA Map
together :)
.CZ
.FR
.LU XING:
.NL
.UK
.DE
Linkdin: EuroIAnetwork
.CH .PL
.AT

6. Feedback & Discussion

Feedback & Discussion
• Questions?
• First impressions? What do you think, what do you ... feel?
• What do you think about our plan?
• Do you understand our motivation?
• Do you share our goals?
• Are we on the right track?
• The relationship with IA institute
• The relationship with ASIS&T
• Do you want to get involved?

7. Summary & Conclussions
• Euro IA conclusions
• Postitive Feedback from the Euro IA audience
• Keep the momentum
• Deside on responsibilities to drive the identified activity tracks
• Strengthen the network
• ...