(highlight:: Breaking Away From Archaic Information Architecture
Transcript:
Speaker 1
And I make the point in the article, it's not that information architecture isn't doing good in the business world and can't do more good. So it's not an abandonment of business at all. But I think that there's so much potential for the ways that we think, the ways that we practice information architecture, particularly in the areas of language and classification, How we use language, how we define or design labels, how we structure and organize conceptual spaces. Those skills are so useful beyond business, whether we talk about social or political or environmental areas. I think that part of what is holding us back as people are archaic words and structures, right, a kind of language and classification systems that we have inherited from the past that We're having a hard time getting beyond.)
- Time 0:06:45
- innovation, information architecture,

(highlight:: The Influence of Physical and Digital Spaces on Human Minds
Key takeaways:
• Environments shape people's perceptions.
• People get used to certain structures.
• It's challenging to shift people's thinking.
• Methods for affecting change vary.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
We create environments that then shape people's perceptions, right? I mean, you go back to the Winston Churchill quote, if it was really him, we shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us. That's very true, whether you're talking about buildings or digital places or classification systems. And once people get used to a certain structure, it's hard to kind of shift. It's hard to kind of get people to think differently. And that's the challenge I think is interesting, but it's different in every domain. Is a website going to help make this shift or a book or do people need to be teaching this in elementary school, right? Where are the levers for affecting change in people's minds?)
- Time 0:14:05
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(highlight:: Some of the Best Innovations Come from Users, Not the Designers
Key takeaways:
• Information architecture is not solely created by professionals; user suggestions and innovations play a significant role.
• Many of the best innovations originate from individual users who experiment with ideas.
• Successful ideas often spread as others observe and replicate them.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
You know, when we talk about information architecture, it's easy to think about that we are the creators of structure that it has to come out of our heads. But you know, as the Twitter hashtag idea suggests, right, many of the best innovations come from a user, right, one person who sort of has an idea and tries it out. And then other people see it and copy it and it starts to spread.)
- Time 0:17:21
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(highlight:: The Irritation of Difference: The Source of All Forms of Othering?
Key takeaways:
• Introducing pronouns in a meeting can be seen as forced and unnecessary.
• Irritation towards added complexity may lead to conflict and suffering.
• Embracing and celebrating differences can lead to personal growth.
• Being mindful of our irritation can foster understanding and empathy.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
I was at a meeting a couple of years ago, the purpose of the meeting was really to focus on helping undocumented immigrants in Michigan. But it was hosted at the University of Michigan. And at a certain point, we were all asked to introduce ourselves and to introduce our pronouns. And at an introductory meeting where we didn't even know if we were ever going to see any of these people again, it seemed like that, you know, was kind of forced into the conversation. And when I experienced that irritation, number one, I tried to moderate it, like, you know, hey, there's a plus here, right? We're really trying to make sure that as we're talking to one another and referring to one another, we're using the right words, right? We're using the words that people are comfortable with as their identification. But I also try to grow a little compassion for the people who are on the other side, right? The folks who have very little tolerance for LGBTQ plus folks. Because, you know, the thing that's really interesting in here is I think that there's this little part of our brains that, you know, I'm sure there's a spectrum in terms of like how active This is across the population. But there's a little part of our brains that just gets annoyed at added complexity, right? Like, oh, now I've got to worry about whether I say, you know, he or she or they or theirs, my life's hard enough already. I'm just keeping my head above water. That just annoys me, right? And I think that little irritation may be the source of so much conflict and unnecessary suffering in our society. And the flip side is, which for the most part is how I feel is I love difference, right? I am so bored by the sameness, right? Living in a world where there's people of all different sort of races and sexes and genders and, you know, people who have different customs and do things differently, like, I love that, Right? But I have a brain that loves learning. And I also have the privilege of a certain level of stability in my life and a certain amount of confidence that I'm sort of ready for the next thing. Hey, I want to learn something new. Tell me more about what it means to be trans, right? Like, that's a new wrinkle. Tell me about that. I'm interested. But I think that little kind of irritation, right, is something that probably would be good for us all to be mindful of. Like, we all probably feel that at different points about different issues.)
- Time 0:18:17
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(highlight:: The Necessity of Great Leadership in Times of Crisis
Key takeaways:
• We are at a dangerous moment of destruction to other species and the environment.
• We need to be more open to change and embrace it.
• Great leadership is needed to deal with rapid or dramatic change.
• Current leadership is lacking in addressing the crisis.
• Great leaders can inspire positive thinking and action.
• Viewing change with curiosity and adventure is important.
• We hope for better leadership in the near future.
Transcript:
Speaker 1
We are in a very dangerous moment where we are not only causing incredible destruction to other species and to the environment, but we're doing it to the extent that we're on the verge Of destroying ourselves. And so at a time where I see this crisis, like we're in it and it's getting worse, I feel that we need to be more progressive, right? We need to move faster. The structures that have served as well, served as well in a different world in a past world that's not coming back. And so I think that we need to be more open to change, to embrace change. And I say that knowing, especially just based on how you phrase that question, that that's really scary to a lot of people and very difficult for a lot of people. And I'm not sure what the answer is to that. Other than, to me, in order to deal with change, especially rapid or dramatic change, what's needed is great leadership. It's times like these where we need great leaders. And at the moment, at least in this country, we don't have that. And so we're all feeling lost. We're struggling. We're seeing parts of this crisis unfolding. We probably all see it differently. But what's needed from great leadership is the ability to say, hey, we have to move from A to B, whether that's physically moving from an island to a mainland location, whether it's moving From the use of fossil fuels to renewable energy. A great leader can get people to think in a more positive way about the challenges ahead to recognize, oh, this is going to be hard. But we can actually do something valuable and meaningful with our lives. We can be the generation that made this change that sacrificed for future generations. And to sort of view it less with fear and more with a sense of adventure and curiosity. And I'm hopeful that at some point in the fairly near future, we will get that kind of leadership.)
- Time 0:22:58
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