Information architecture: Notes toward a new curriculum

There are signs that information architecture is coalescing into a field of professional practice. However, if it is to become a profession, it must develop a means of educating new information architects. Lessons from other fields suggest that professional education typically evolves along a predictable path, from apprenticeships to trade schools to college‐ and university‐level education. Information architecture education may develop more quickly to meet the growing demands of the information society. Several pedagogical approaches employed in other fields may be adopted for information architecture education, as long as the resulting curricula provide an interdisciplinary approach and balance instruction in technical and design skills with consideration of theoretical concepts. Key content areas are information organization, graphic design, computer science, user and usability studies, and communication. Certain logistics must be worked out, including where information architecture studies should be housed and what kinds of degrees should be offered and at what levels. The successful information architecture curriculum will be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the changing needs of students and the marketplace.