The document discusses challenges in developing an information architecture (IA) strategy for a website for the Caja de Seguro Social in Panama. Some of the key challenges included defining a clear strategy, convincing clients that they were not the target audience, differences in existing versus required content, and limited resources. Cultural differences between the high-context Panamanian clients and the low-context IA consultants also created challenges, with clients more focused on relationships and authority while consultants focused more on explicit communication and transferable knowledge.

1. Deep Context Jorge Arango [email_address]

2. IA environment CONTEXT CONTENT USERS IA Audiences, needs, experience, workflow, tasks Document types, attributes, structure, metadata, owners Organization models and objectives, culture, resources

3. The Internet in Panama

4. Maythe y Dangello

5. Relación 1-1 usuario-PC

6. Caja de Seguro Social

7. css.org.pa

8. Project challenges (assumed) Identify audiences Identify and obtain content Design navigation structures Develop content maintenance processes

9. The work

10. Project challenges (real) Define a strategy Convince the clients that they are not the audience ∆ between existing and required content Resources 5. “Web designer”

11. Beginning of the end

12. Protests Photo: suntracs.org

13. What if… … there was a clear strategy for the website? … objectives were explicitly stated and agreed on? … we had a realistic (phased) plan? … all parties were “on the same boat”? … we had a realistic budget? … we could communicate more effectively?

14. Design artifacts = Didactic tools Insight #1

15. Sitemap 1

16. Sitemap 2

17. Sitemap 3

18. Cultural differences Insight #2

19. Edward Hall’s model of culture HIGH CONTEXT LOW CONTEXT Implicit communication Explicit communication Knowledge is internalized and situational Knowledge is externalized and transferable Focus on relationships Focus on the rules Authority dominates The system dominates

20. Client = high context

21. IA = low context Sitemaps, wireframes Taxonomies Controlled vocabularies Pattern libraries Workflow etc…

22. Reduce context dependency! The IA challenge:

24. Gracias • Obrigado • Thanks Jorge Arango [email_address]