Michael Betts — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:27:49 GMT

Kudos, Rachel, for tackling an often sticky question. If this business were simply about “boxes and arrows,” we’d be faced with some pretty boring websites. I boil the role down to these three essentials: 1> helping the IA gain a deeper understanding of what’s actually going to be filling the buckets (because lord knows it’s not always what they had in mind), 2> translating the experience of wireframes and comps into something a content creator/copywriter can build a narrative around, especially a non-linear one, 3> working with the technical team to create a manageable system for creating, migrating, and maintaining massive amounts of content data.

I also must second Robert’s comment that the IA/CS relationship can vary widely and each project generally benefits from some upfront discussion of who’s doing what and how you’re going to work together.

Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Michael Betts