Towards the end of July, I received an email from the newly created WIAD Organizer Alumni newsletter. I learned that the Global Board is looking for input into a rebranded name and tagline, since both the event and the nonprofit entity behind it exist as separate but identically named entities.

The email linked to a Google Form survey. I thought I would give my thoughts behind my answers, in case it can add to the discussion.

Brand Name

“World Information Architecture” on its own seems too barren to me. It could be another subdiscipline of information architecture (e.g. “pervasive information architecture,” “product information architecture”) rather than an organization.

“World Information Architecture Association” seems okay, other than the potential for it to be pronounced as “double-u i double-a.” Too many doubles. “Double-u i a a” sounds like a new type of battery or a meeting for alcoholics anonymous participants who are shouldered with something that sounds like a “double DUI.”

“Community” seems like something too broad to claim dominion over. “Movement” sounds political.

“World Information Architecture Organization” is the clear winner for me. A big indicator that this is the right choice is that the explanatory text within the survey already makes reference to “our organization.” It comes naturally!

Tagline

Out of these choices, “Making information clear” is the closest to a succinct explanation of what it is information architects really do. (I think “making information understandable” would be even more accurate but it doesn’t make for a strong tagline.) We’re not community organizers first and foremost, even if some of the work we do does end up connecting communities.

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Good luck and thanks to the Global Board for their ongoing efforts toward putting on World IA Day 2022!