http://jjg.net/ia/visvocab/
It could be that I’ve already been working in computers for too long. It could be that after over a decade of working in the field, I’ve slowly absorbed the ideas about information architecture, use, and layout purely on my own. It could be that this document is extremely helpful, and I’m just an ornery old geek.
It seemed to me, though, that the first reading was taking the obvious and re-stating it in over-technical terms. It came across as overblown simplicity and logic in design. I understand the need for nearly-universal and simple logic diagrams for flowcharting, idea mapping, and process design. I just think that this sort of thing already existed, far before web design was a twinkle in somebody’s eye.
Logic gates, AND, OR, XOR, etc, have been available for use since the first processor was mapped out. Hell, Babbage may have used simple logic diagrams like these. To pass off simple logic and conditional diagrams as something designed in response to a need in the office offends me. A small history lesson may be in order.
The second document, on the other hand, was extremely helpful. It had a clear and concise chart that compared and contrasted two different flows of information design, which were centered on the two most popular uses of the World Wide Web.