using abstraction to increase clarity

#AbstractionforClarity#AbstractionforClarity

Using Abstraction to

Increase ClarityKaarin HoffInformation Architect, The Understanding Group (TUG)#AbstractionforClarity

#AbstractionforClarity

Abstraction:the intentional filtering of

information to focus a conversation on the core

goal(s)

#AbstractionforClarity

http://iqcontent.com/blog/2009/11/dublins-new-subway-system-well-subway-map/

#AbstractionforClarity

http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/pdf/routemap_en.pdf

#AbstractionforClarity

Abstraction Best Practices

• If its going to distract from the conversation, don’t include it

• Use a model that fits the information, not vice versa

• Clearer: not necessarily less, could even be more• Allow your models to combine information

from multiple sources

#AbstractionforClarity

Too often we are asked to jump to the detailed

#AbstractionforClarity

Thoughtfully using abstractions can avoid a lot of this pain and keep

projects from getting stuck in prior assumptions

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model we

use to facilitate conversations

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model through which we hold conversations

Marriot

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model through which we hold conversations

http://ffffound.com/home/vvva/found/

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model through which we hold conversations

www.google.com

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model through which we hold conversations

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model through which we hold conversations

#AbstractionforClarity

We must choose carefully the model through which we hold conversations

#AbstractionforClarity

Customer Journey Example

#AbstractionforClarity

Concrete

User

User

User

User

Stakeholder ?See the things they expected to see.

Do the thing they already wanted to do.

#AbstractionforClarity

Abstractions help stakeholders DISCOVER

#AbstractionforClarity

Concrete AbstractedPlausibleImprobableNarrativeVisualUser

User

User

User

IA Brain

#AbstractionforClarity

#AbstractionforClarity

#AbstractionforClarity

IA Brain

Stakeholder

Dev-eloper

IA Brai

n

#AbstractionforClarity

Goal Alignment Example

#AbstractionforClarity

Concrete

“information”

“need, need!”

“want”

“information”

“need, need!”

“want”“information”

“information”

“information”

“want”

#AbstractionforClarity

Concrete

“information”

“want”

“information”“information”

#AbstractionforClarity

Concrete Abstracted

“information”

“need, need!”

“want”

“information”

“need, need!”

“want”

“information”

“information”

“want”“information”

-Goal #1 Reasons:

-Goal #2 Reasons

-Goal #3 Reasons

IA Brain

#AbstractionforClarity

-Goal #1 Reasons:

-Goal #2 Reasons

-Goal #3 Reasons

IA Brain

#AbstractionforClarity

Abstraction Best Practices

• If its going to distract from the conversation, don’t include it

• Use a model that fits the information, not vice versa

• Clearer: not necessarily less, could even be more• Allow your models to combine information

from multiple sources

#AbstractionforClarity

Try it out, keep the conversation going

Kaarin Hoffkaarin@understandinggroup.com@kaarinh

Group#AbstractionforClaritySlideshare