I've been evolving this talk with each opportunity to give it, and this version is probably the best yet.

1. Establishing What “Good” Means
with Performance Continuums
presented by
Dan Klyn

4. 4

5. 5

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8. 1998 2002 2006

9. The very skills that are the traditional
staple of library science are among
those considered
central to IA
- David Robbins, ASIS&T Bulletin 2002
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12. 1997 12

13. clarity, understanding + the science of the
organization of information
1 the individual who organizes the patterns
inherent in data, making the complex clear
2 a person who creates the structure or map
of information which allows others to find
their personal paths to knowledge
3 the emerging 21st century professional
occupation addressing the needs of the age
focused upon clarity, human understanding,
and the science of the organization of
information - information architecture

14. 1976

15. architect-
ure is what

16. design is
how

17. 1976

18. 1976
18

19. 1976

20. 1972
A common obstacle to understanding and
communicating our needs, and to realizing
solutions to them, is our habit of asking for a
specific product we have used or seen (even
if it has been a failure) rather than analyzing
our need.
The Nature of Recreation, p.18

21. 1976

23. LANGUAGE GENERATES STRUCTURE

24. 1970

25. 2010

26. 2010

27. 1970

28. of the beach
of the town
of
the town of the beach

29. “Architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks together”
- Mies van der Roh
http://tristonrobinson.co.uk/architectural-review-poster

30. TOWARD
WHAT
?

31. The Nature of Recreation, 1972

32. Performance is the
measure of how well our
environment responds to
our needs, and the basis
of a common vocabulary
for communicating our
needs.
The Nature of Recreation, 1972
32

33. 1976

35. Performance is the measure of
how well [the stuff we make]
responds to our needs, and the
basis of a common vocabulary
for communicating our needs.
Continuum a continuous sequence
in which adjacent elements are not
perceptibly different from each
other, although the extremes are
quite distinct.

36. Performance is the measure of how well [the
stuff we make] responds to our needs, and
the basis of a common vocabulary for
communicating our needs.

37. Case Study: Publishing Co.
- Profound business model, market changes
- Stakeholder blend of old + new
- Ambitious software development schedule
- Heroic internal dev team
37

38. acquire service
new existing
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39. sequenced intertwingled
39

40. add optimize
features features
40

43. “I call each of these points a cultural address”
-Brian Eno

44. Whenever a duality starts to dissolve, those who felt
trapped at one end of it suddenly feel enormous
freedom – they can now redescribe themselves. But,
by the same token, those who defined their identity by
their allegiance to one pole of the duality and
rejection of the other) feel exposed. The walls have
been taken away, and the separation between inside
and outside is suddenly gone. This can create wide-
scale social panic...
AXIS THINKING ( excerpt from Brian Eno's diary ) 1995-2005

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46. tips for using
performance continuums:
- grammatical symmetry
- not necessarily opposites
- zero is ok, but only w/ direction
- add sparklines to indicate
weight, distribution of intention
and opinion
- voice as a future objection to
the structures you’ll recommend:
“it’s too...”

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48. Thank You!
@undrstndng
http://understandinggroup.com/INFOCAMPSEA
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