UX Social is Olga Howard‘s new initiative to investigate connections between user experience design and public policy. Recently Olga has been interviewing information architects about their views about IA in the public sector. She interviewed quite a few of us at last month’s IA Summit in sunny Miami.
Her interview with me is now posted for your enjoyment. While I’ve done no real professional work in the public sector (unless you count the Smithsonian), I did have some ideas, namely: The government is something we interact with inwardly and outwardly. We expect to receive some kinds of information from the government (I discuss New York’s awesome 311 service) and we we give other kinds of information to the government (such as census data).
On a personal note, listening to myself speak — much less viewing my own smirking face — isn’t always easy for me to bear. My “ums-per-minute” drops significantly after the first few minutes, thankfully. I hope you enjoy it!