User Experience (UX) Roles vs Information Architect Roles (IA)

This is just a quick post showing the basic level differences between User Experience (UX) Roles and Information Architect (IA) Roles. I’m working on a full model post as well, but that is still being written.

User Experience (UX) Roles.

User Experience Architect (UX Architect)

Gathers requirements, defines the system features (functional specification) , user journeys, personas, interactions, sitemaps, wireframes, data models, conducts research, writes testing protocols and conducts testing.

Interaction Designer (IxD/UX Designer)

Defines interactions, sitemaps, wireframes, based on requirements from the more senior UX Architect.

User Experience Researcher (UX Researcher)

Conducts research for the User Experience Architect (UX Architect), Interaction Designer (IxD/UX Designer) or for a User Interface Developer (to apply common patterns).

Usability Tester

Works with User Experience Architect (UX Architect) or Interaction Designer (IxD/UX Designer) to define the testing formats that are conducted during research, design and development project phases.

Accessibility Tester

Works with User Experience Architect or Interaction Designer (IxD/UX Designer) to define the testing formats that are conducted during research, design and development project phases.

User Experience Tester

Conducts user acceptance testing for the experience in line with the personas and user journeys.

User Interface Developer (UI Developer)

Interprets the functional specification, sitemaps, wireframes with the aid of the User Experience Architect (UX) Architect and Interaction Designer (IxD/UX Designer) to avoid losing key featured defined for the specific audience. This is a negotiated process where the UI Developer is able to express their deep knowledge of the front end code capabilities and can be an area of conflict if the UX practitioner does not respect their capability and fully explain the reasons for the design elements.

Information Architect (IA) Roles

Information Architect

Gathers requirements, defines the system information features (information specification) , conducts content audits, information research, data architecture, writes tone of voice, defines taxonomy, content strategy, word based marketing strategy and content object model.

Content Auditor / Researcher

Conducts information audit of existing system (if one is there) and research into area specific language.

Taxonomist

Defines the taxonomy for the system based upon the Content Audit and Research.

Content Strategist

Writes the content strategy based upon the Content Audit and Research.

SEO, SEM, PPC Strategist

Defines the keyword structures based upon the Content Audit + Research, keyword logging and meta standards.

Content Object Modeller

Writes the content object model based upon the Content Audit + Research, Content Strategist and SEO, SEM, PPC Strategist.

Content Author / Designer

Delivers content that fills the content object model and is in line with tone of voice.

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