PixelMEDIA Inc.

I’ve been working with a client who came to PixelMEDIA looking for an Information Architect to turn an existing desktop application into a browser-based user experience. They invited us to support their in-house programmers and a third-party visual design company. At the initial project kickoff meeting, it became apparent that the three parties at the table had wildly differing ideas on how the application worked and what the vision for the next version of the product should be.

But it also turned out, that the majority of the client stakeholders were puzzled as to what PixelMEDIA was providing. They didn’t understand what Information Architecture was, and hadn’t even thought about the overall user experience for the product. Yet, they had requested an IA. How odd. (Read More…)

A recent conversation revealed an interesting dilemma to me. My client is a CIO of a large consulting services firm and has about 125 project managers and just over 500 total employees across 15 or so offices.

Aside from the general challenges they face in attempts to streamline project and document management – they face a greater, generational struggle.

They’ve got a good number of Baby Boomers poised to retire in the next few years – and there have been no attempts or programs put in place to facilitate the transfer of their knowledge. These are folks who have been with the firm since the 80s and have grown with – and really have the most knowledge of – the business.

They are also the least likely to adopt or embrace any new collaboration tools that may be rolled out.

(Read More…)