What is the difference between an information architect and a findability engineer?
The required skills and professional responsibilities of an information architect are fairly well defined. In a wide variety of environments, information architects collaborate with designers, developers, and authors to produce web sites, applications, and experiences. The number of practicing information architects is significant and growing, and I see that as a real success for the field. In contrast, very few findability engineers exist today, and I’m not sure that should or will change tomorrow. I would prefer that architects, authors, designers, and developers recognize the vital importance and cross-disciplinary nature of findability. That said, in some organizations, an entrepreneurial findability engineer can make a real positive impact by focusing attention on findability and serving as a bridge between disciplines.
