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Information Architecture Strategy

By Carl Scheider

© The Information Architects' Cooperative (TiAC) 1996

This document is an attempt to briefly explain what information architecture is and how it can be constructed.

What is a "strategy"

Strategy is normally defined as the overall plan to accomplish something, as opposed to the tactical, or detailed focused plan. Within Architecture documents, [1] strategies are the long term action steps defined to bring the architecture vision into actuality.

One defines a strategy to outline the overall plan for the benefit of the people in the trenches trying to get work done. As best we know it, here is where we are going, here are the technologies we will utilize, and the plans and timetables to bring them to reality.

What is architecture?

Architecture is defined as the formal, considered plan or design that guides development or construction of business systems.

In more detail, it is the framework of principles, [2] guidelines, standards, models and strategies which directs the design, construction and deployment of information technology throughout the enterprise. It is made up of:

Major components of architecture

Architecture has four major components: Applications, Technical, Data and Organizational.

1. Application architecture—the guidelines, standards, models, the general framework which guides the internal design of all business systems, so that they share a common structure and utilize common tools and resources. Applications architecture includes: a) principles; b) functions and frameworks provided across the enterprise organized into layers and components; c) models, templates, standards that guide development and d) interfaces between components.
2. Technical architecture—the hardware, network, and system software that supports development and operational environments for all business systems; the infrastructure which underlies and supports the overall computing environment, including: machine, network, operating system, protocols, compilers, and development tools.
3. Data Architecture—the overall corporate data model for the enterprise, warehouse approach (informational vs. operational), how data is structured, designed, accessed.
4. Organizational architecture—the mission, goals, business strategy and methodology of the I/S division; how the IT function is organized internally to support the business and its internal needs.

Application Architecture Strategy

The Application Architecture Strategy is the plan for developing the application architecture—the meta strategy if you will. This is the focus of this document, within the preceding context. The following are the major components of a strategy implement an architecture:

Awareness - to engage people in the conversation about architecture

Enforcement - making it real

Update - kept current

Contents - the list of what we envision in the architecture

Models - graphical depiction of the architecture infrastructure

Implementation - how the conversation becomes rules, components, infrastructure

1. Awareness

General awareness is the first step of an architecture effort. According to Gartner, architecture is more a conversation than a document. People need to understand the role of application architecture, have a simple picture and vision of the desired result, and the benefits. They need to take personal responsibility for the implementation and enforcement and participate in the development.

Education in architecture is the most important means to ensure that everyone has the basic understanding needed to implement the architecture. It may include annual presentations on the state of architecture and direction; a formal presentation to new employees on the architecture, or an intensive workshop to provide the level of training needed for a certified architect candidate.

2. Enforcement

Architecture must be enforced to be effective. Consistency and reuse will not happen by chance or democratic procedures. In another sense, architecture most easily enforced by providing an array of reusable components that make work easier and more consistent. One can get to the 17th floor by taking the elevator, or constructing new stairs -- most people take the elevator. When the architecture components exist, and that is the easiest means to accomplish work, that will be the ultimate enforcement.

3. Update

The architecture is formally updated at specific times.

4. Contents

1. Principles: the basic rules for architecture.
2. Definitions: the words and symbols of architecture, to ensure a common vocabulary and understanding.
3. Models of components, layers, interfaces -- the pictures representing the future working code that will make up the executable architecture.

5. Models

Models are graphical depictions of the architecture infrastructure. They provide a simple view of what will be constructed.

1. Layers and Components model - what are the various layers, what functionality is required in each.
2. Enterprise Object Model - the common model across the enterprise, which will support the eventual integration of the components on the desktop of the professional worker.
3. Enterprise Data Model - the common data model, which supports the integrated view of data required for component use and sharing.

6. Implementation

The proposed models and components are evaluated according to their importance to the organization, and their development is funded as part of the annual plan.

Footnotes

[1] The architecture document is the concrete definition of what has been agreed to for an architecture “vision”. The document may have a variety of forms, such as paper, WWW format, or LAN document.

[2] Principles are guiding values or beliefs that underlie the architecture and enable it to retain consistency in the face of never-ending evolution.