The Purpose of the Machine
“When we use machines to achieve whatever it is we desire, we cannot have what we desire until we have finished with the machine, until we can rid ourselves of the mechanical means of reaching our intended outcome. The goal of technology is therefore to eliminate itself, to become silent, invisible, care-free.”
-James P. Carse Finite and Infinite Games
Websites as a Machines
Websites are machines that beg to eliminate themselves. That is the whole purpose of user-centered design. If an end user is aware of the website he/she is using, that technology has failed. More specifically, if the user types their query into the search field, and no document, or the wrong documents are served, that search query has failed.
It is the job of the information architect to evoke the invisibility of the technology they build. That fundamental goal is something we should never lose sight of. From the usability of our documentation for stake-holders, to the relationship between content, interface, and end user, everything must be transparent.
Documentation as a Machine
Documents, like websites, are machines. Their clarity depends on similar usability methods. Earlier in my career, I would feel slighted if an upper manager/stake-holder would glaze over my documentation without a second thought. I realized, however, that my approach was wrong. I would timidly enter my manager’s office, and leave package of schemas and wireframes on his/her desk. Then I would wait for approval. The hours ticked by. The days approached and receded. Looking back, I can’t blame them for ignoring my documentation. No matter what, a strategy document needs to be presented, not only in the power-point-board-room way, but also in the way one edits their documents. Every piece of documentation, if it is to be effective, must be tailored to its audience. Our high school English teachers gave us our first lessons in user-centered design; when writing an essay, KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE! Our strategy documentation should be no different. If your schema is intended for a board room of suits, present it in a way that’s familiar to them. Learn their patterns, their culture, their lexicon and format your documentation accordingly.