Defining an independent information layer underpinning digital systems improves alignment, consistent definitions, and seamless experiences in organizations.
A centrally managed information layer with a common set of terms and concepts across multiple systems enables accurate communication, coherent experiences, and effective digital transformation.
Deep dives
Defining the information layer in digital systems
Bram Wessel and Gary Carlson, founders of Factor, discuss the importance of defining the information layer that underpins digital systems in organizations. They highlight how the information component of UX strategy projects is often neglected or underserved, leading to challenges in data management. By creating an independent information layer, organizations can explicitly define core concepts, such as product models and taxonomy, and ensure consistency across multiple systems, experiences, and business units. This alignment enables seamless experiences, effective analytics, and better communication with customers.
Managing complexity in large organizations
Wessel and Carlson emphasize that the need for an information layer is more prevalent in large organizations due to the complex and heterogeneous digital environments they operate in. They explain that large companies often face issues of inconsistent definitions and understandings of core concepts, such as campaigns or products, across different teams and systems. The information layer provides a lens for organizations to gain clarity and alignment by defining and managing concepts that represent their worldview and offerings. This, in turn, improves communication, analytics, and digital transformation efforts.
Centrally managing concepts for consistency
The discussion delves into the importance of centrally managing concepts within the information layer. Wessel and Carlson highlight the need for a common set of terms and concepts across multiple systems, such as CRM, ERP, and DAM, to ensure alignment and accurate communication within the organization. They advocate for an independently managed set of concepts that serves as the source of truth, allowing consistent definitions and semantic relationships between terms. This governance and maintenance of the information layer enable organizations to provide coherent and seamless experiences across various digital touchpoints.
The value of precision in the information layer
The guests emphasize that as organizations become more digital, the value of precision in defining concepts within the information layer extends beyond the realm of building digital systems. They highlight how being concise and accurate in defining concepts has organizational, business, cultural, and brand value. The information layer acts as an organizational asset that enables organizations to communicate effectively, gain stakeholder trust, and facilitate digital transformation by mediating all aspects of business through information. The guests encourage organizations of all sizes to focus on their information layer and embrace the benefits of alignment and precise conceptual definitions.
Bram Wessel and Gary Carlson are the founders of Factor, an information architecture and experience design consultancy. In this conversation, we discuss their practice of helping organizations gain alignment by defining the information layer that underpins their digital systems.
