Saturday, 5:00pm, Hernando Desoto Room
One of the challenges facing designers today is how to engage with emerging markets and rapidly developing economies. Well over half of the global population lives and works in these countries and technology is rapidly diffusing into their everyday lives.
Mobile devices, in particular, are becoming the first experience of the online world. Mobile telephones have more worldwide users than any other digital technology - and often provide the first experience with information architecture in a digital sense. The challenge of providing accessible IA for illiterate and innumerate people is starting to be addressed through projects like the One Laptop Per Child
(OLPC) initiative.
Information architects have always had an essential role in providing access to information and services. Emerging markets have an enormous need for this access - but also a range of constraints that make it hard for designers to deliver effective IA.
Why has the rest of the world missed out on IA? What makes us fail to understand the needs of most of the global population? What opportunities have we missed by avoiding emerging markets? How can information architecture help the illiterate or innumerate? Is it even possible to design for
‘everyone’? Why should information architects care about the rest of the world? How and why should we use persuasive design to help emerging markets succeed?
This presentation will help information architects understand the opportunities presented by emerging markets, and the role IA can play in development and growth. It will also discuss tools and techniques for creating globally relevant IA, alongside real-world examples of IA in emerging markets.
INSTRUCTOR
Miles Rochford
Miles Rochford has been designing interactive experiences for more than fifteen years, and has been an information architect for over six years.
He has worked on projects for government, non-profit, corporate and startup clients based in the United States, Europe and Australia. He specialises in service design, spatial data and mobile delivery
- from systems to map toilets across Australia to keeping track of scientific vessels in the Antarctic.
He is now at Nokia Design, based in London, where he has been undertaking research into service opportunities for emerging markets in Asia, Africa and South America. As a Design Specialist in the Service and UI Design team, he develops service and interface concepts for future Nokia products and services.
Photos of the presenter can be supplied upon request..