Research & Information Architecture

What the change means for UX research and information architecture — mental models, intent, and the discoverability barrier.

This page reorders the material of the other two sections for UX Researcher and Information Architect.

What changes for research & IA

  • Map the intent people cannot name. Because of the discoverability barrier, observed behaviour under-estimates what users would delegate. Design for the non-prompter as the normal case, not the edge. See Intent-based interaction.
  • Top-down navigation coexists with intent. Those who start from their own case skip the hierarchy. Do not delete the structure: flank it with direct, intent-based access. See The user’s language replaces the system’s taxonomy.
  • AI literacy as a research variable. Trust calibration diverges between stated and acted trust; measure it behaviourally. See Trust, AI literacy and calibration.
  • The private conversation is unobservable. The most influential brand conversation happens in private chats no research method reaches. See The conversations you cannot observe.

What you cannot decide alone