Implementing Information Architecture Offline
learning lessons in IA in the world of a catering kitchen
In today’s world of the web and beyond, Information Architecture can organize not only a team or a web page, but the entire user experience. Yes, it’s inherently online, but it can apply to almost any aspect of life.
How did things get organized, sorted and navigated before the internet? I’m lucky enough to have experience in this realm. In the 1980s, how did a user get information? My swim team didn’t have an online calendar of coaches and practice times. We had a monthly newsletter and a number that shared a weekly informative outgoing message presented as a long, unskippable voicemail. School grade reports were sorted on tri-color carbon copy paper. We didn’t have Postmates. Instead, there was a stack of curated paper takeout menus by the phone.
In the present day, the age of the internet, I have had the joy of working in an off-line industry, hospitality; and most recently, catering. In the world of catering, planning, scheduling and pricing can happen online. But the cooking needs to happen offline by people. About 5 years ago, I had a great challenge of joining a team before the company exploded with growth. For our internal systems, Information Architecture for kitchen organization, layout and use would have been a great implementation.
I’ve been learning more about the approach of Information Architecture by listening to interviews of Abby Covey of Etsy. Covey explains IA as “the way we arrange something to make it understandable as a whole.” It is the backbone of structuring for a pleasurable user experience, “sensemaking” of a group of content, even in an offline setting.
When I first joined the catering team, I hit the ground running and didn’t stop to take a look at what I had inherited. My coworkers were comfortable in the physical space, and I adapted to quirks and kept questions to a minimum to avoid being a pest. A few months in, I was promoted to the company’s first Executive Chef. This was an honor, but also a big sign that the company was in a huge state of growth, and probably needed a once over to accommodate that growth. I didn’t think about that because I was already on the inside, trying to play catch up to our bustling system.
What didn’t occur to me is that I had inherited the space and organization. I’d organized two other kitchens as Executive Chef, but I’d started from scratch in both cases. I didn’t know the value of having a clean slate. I’d also inherited the employees who also felt accustomed to the way things were. Inheritance in IA is something to pay special attention to- to review what is there, to determine how to then move forward with what is best. It’s not a complex concept, but one that requires a step back, a deep breath and a refocus.
In that first year, I tried to implement what I perceived as organizational wins. I recall being a big fan of labels. During busy times, I would try to use “early adopter” cooks who were full time to pass along the organization method to our contract employees. I celebrated tiny victories although our systems always felt one step behind.
Over time, I was inadvertently learning the invaluable mantra that permeates through IA: Let go of there being one right way. I had taken to being such an authority and in turn, felt so much frustration in that attachment and perceived ownership. I gratefully snapped out of “my way” being the “right way” and worked collaboratively for a better fix. I started listening and delegating, asking my staff what would make sense to them. Should puff dough spirals be in the “baking” or “appetizer” recipe folder? Does the pizza knife belong with the sharp utensils, or in the pastry drawer, close to where it actually gets used? Do pimento olives belong on the shelf with bar goods, or with the olives used for relishes and snacks? We came from a common place of what makes the MOST sense, even if it doesn’t make perfect sense. Releasing my grip on having things my way helped our team come to an understanding that each person was valued, and that they might have a great idea or approach.
In her work, Covey pleads to choose clarity over cleverness. I thought that I always wanted things to be clear, but now I can recall that when I got tired or wanted to be goofy, I was part of the problem. For example, I got a kick out of labeling ‘Za instead of pizza. However, I can’t think if anyone actually understood that label, and I recall that I was often asked what on earth it meant.
If ‘Za weren’t confusing enough, in handwriting it looked like 2A, which means even less.
Over time, we honed common verbiage. Most things were straightforward, but some were unique to our group. A special term could come out of function mixed with humor, like, “meat football.” (This is the term for when you needed to wrap something, like leftover meat, in so much plastic wrap that it ended up looking like a football, so you could put it on ice and keep it cold for the duration of the event). A meat football could then be brought back to the kitchen and unpacked to our “Use Soon” shelf. This was an area that was not only for FIFO (first in, first out) health regulations, but was also a home for staff meal ingredients.
I always felt most comfortable organizing in regards to offsite events. For offsite organization, I was able to start from scratch. I’d know my packing list in advance. From there, I could then choose, fill and label my containers. I had worked with staff before to know what worked well for them and me. I could breathe easy knowing that others could follow a spaced out system with clear details. At these events, I felt good, and my team felt good.
In the fall of 2019, my sous chef asked me, “how much time do you think you spend reorganizing the walk in?” I answered with 10% of my day… and he laughed in disbelief. Then, I started paying attention. I was spending hours a day reorganizing an endlessly changing pile of food for prep and events in order to have things organized and make sense for me and my time. With each iteration (new word, never used in the actual kitchen) I was able to problem solve for past pains, but could rarely have capacity to leave space for a future event or delivery. I admitted how I probably actually spend up to 75% of my time in the kitchen reorganizing or troubleshooting a reorg that I could delegate to someone else.
We had a physical space problem. My organization was sufficient, but I was missing something. I was missing step one.
That is when I got the chance to finally acknowledge our need and the grave importance of the first step of IA — the content audit. What did we need space for? I was always stuck by our physical space, and never gave my permission to think outside what already existed. We needed more space in order to sort appropriately. I was able to do this with single events because I created a list and then was able to build for that list. Now, I was getting the chance to use this concept on our daily system.
I was able to lay this list out for my boss, and researched what containers (from building additions, to refrigeration equipment, to shelving) would allow for us to properly organize our kitchen for the next season. I also explained that the solution I’d come up with did not account for future growth, it was purely the next step in being better than what we currently had. And my boss was on board. We hired a contractor who had sent specs of costs on the new building addition, including increased electrical and options for ease of use. My sous chef was sourcing the best value equipment. We put the project on a two week pause when my boss let me know that she would be pausing the project until we learned more about the Corona Virus that had been threatening event cancellation. This put me on edge, since I was excited for the project, but I also knew we had a few months of leeway until the busy season ramped up again in late spring. Sadly, the project was put on a permanent hold as business slowed, cancelled, and our company shut its doors.
With each new organizational step and revelation during my time at the company, I would get glimmers of inspiration, utility and delight- the features of IA. I never understood the tools at my fingertips, that I could actively source them with simple actions that could be collaborative and structured. It took my years of small solutions before striking the core idea gold. I wonder what would have come of our exciting next step in growth, communication and organization.
In the 1980s, there was less. Less information to sort, and less information to share. There were less people involved in decision-making, and less users. Progress could move slowly, because life moved slowly. There were no sprint iterations, because the times were slower. People were slower. It wasn’t until 1983 that Carl Lewis broke the 10 second 100 meter mark. Since then, year after year, that record gets broken, again and again.
Now, I am here. In 2021. In not only an age, but an online industry where the space is limitless. That will most likely cause it’s own problems. But IA equips us with the tools to solve them. Seeing the opportunity of organizing by what is possible rather than what is present is eye opening and revelatory. I am excited to use the benefits of IA in my design as well as offline experiences in the future!
sources:
Talking Code Podcast,”How to do Information Architecture” 8/2015
Mixed Methods Podcast, “Sensemaking Through Information Architecture” 8/2019
