The Memphis Plenary

Abstract

This is the transcript of Jesse James Garrett’s closing plenary address, delivered March 22, 2009 at the 10th ASIS&T Information Architecture Summit in Memphis, Tennessee. The talk addresses infighting and division in the professional community over the labels “information architecture” and “interaction design” for the work practitioners do. Garrett’s solution is to forgo both labels for a third: “There are only, and only ever have been, user experience designers.” Other topics include creating a body of knowledge and a language of critique for information architecture; ethical implications of user experience design work; the dimensions of human experience as media for design; embracing the community’s role as a cultural force.

Jesse James Garrett’s closing plenary address, delivered March 22 2009 at the 10th ASIS&T Information Architecture Summit 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Recordings of the plenary are available at http://boxesandarrows.com/files/banda/ia-summit-09-plenary/Jesse_James_Garrett.m4a (audio) and at: http://theuxworkshop.tv/10th-annual-ia-summit-plenary-speech-jesse-james-garrett/ (video).