Issue #040: February 2026

Hello, IA enthusiasts!

Happy February! We hope this message finds you in good spirits. This is our 40th newsletter, a milestone we're grateful to share with this amazing community.

For the first few months of 2026, our focus is all about World IA Day on March 7th. This year's theme is Designing for Meaning; exploring how we create experiences that resonate deeply with people and foster genuine connection.

We're thrilled to have 20 cities across the globe participating, each bringing their own unique perspective to the theme. Interested in joining the celebration? Check out if there's a location near you! You can also read more about this year's theme.

Stay connected with us on your channel of choice. We're on Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo, and YouTube, sharing updates, insights, and highlights from the IA community.

As always, we appreciate your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Warm regards,

Grace Lau & Xander Roozen

Co-President team, WIAA

Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:

Website update: A new home for WIAA
World IA Cafe & Taxonomy Talks
Resources and development in the community
News from our partners

Website update: A new home for WIAA

We've migrated our website from Drupal to GitBook to create a more navigable, maintainable resource for the IA community. Our focus has been on making content easier to find, organizing information more intuitively, and building a foundation that can grow with our community's needs.

The new site is live and evolving. We've brought over key content, with more still in transition as we thoughtfully evaluate what serves you best. This is very much a work in progress, and we're learning as we go.

We'd love your feedback. What's working well? What's missing? What would make the site more useful for you? Drop us a line via email or comment on our social channels.

Explore the new website

World IA Cafe & Taxonomy Talks

Our community events are currently on pause, but we'd love to hear from you!

Have an idea to share? World IA Cafes are informal gatherings for the IA community to connect and exchange ideas, while Taxonomy Talks spotlight specific topics in information architecture through short, focused presentations.

Ready to present? We're looking for volunteers and speakers:

We'd love to feature your voice and perspective.

Resources and development in the community

Here are 4 tips and resources we’ve come across that might inspire you in your work with information architecture and content strategy.

We hope you find them helpful!

1.

Google Arts & Culture. "The Origins of the Internet in Europe."

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-origins-of-the-internet-in-europe/xwXRQ6RRBwAA8A.

Why is this interesting? This visual timeline reveals the crucial role European scientists played in shaping the internet's architecture. A reminder that information systems evolve through international collaboration and diverse approaches to organizing knowledge.

2.

Brown, Dan. "Every System Has an Architecture." LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/every-system-has-architecture-dan-brown-qdeof/?trackingId=jitCgLy8f%2BZBy5aAU%2Fq7iQ%3D%3D.

Why is this interesting? Dan Brown argues that architecture exists in every system whether we acknowledge it or not. The question is whether it's intentional or accidental, serving users or creating friction.

3.

Hoxha, Delfina. "What's the Format of Information Architecture Work: Diagrams, PowerPoint, Figma, Excel?" Little Language Models, https://littlelanguagemodels.com/information-architecture-activities-formats/.

Why is this interesting? A practical exploration of the tools and formats IAs actually use in their daily work. Helpful for practitioners explaining their process and newcomers understanding what IA deliverables look like.

4.

Talisman, Jessica. "Episode 505 - From Big Data to Big Meaning." Experiencing Data Podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/cz/podcast/episode-505-from-big-data-to-big-meaning-jessica-talisman/id1354589767?i=1000736114976.

Why is this interesting? Jessica Talisman discusses how we move beyond data collection to create meaningful experiences. Perfectly aligned with this year's World IA Day theme of Designing for Meaning.

5.

Ramsden, Dan. "Metadata as Description and Control — Risks of Re-using Metadata in Interfaces." Medium, https://medium.com/design-bootcamp/metadata-as-description-and-control-the-risks-of-re-using-metadata-as-controls-in-interfaces-c43713e024a9.

Why is this interesting? A cautionary look at what happens when metadata designed for content management gets repurposed in user interfaces. Essential reading for anyone working at the intersection of content systems and UX.

From our Community Partners

IAC26 - April 14–18, 2026, Philadelphia, PA

IAC26 is the 27th annual gathering of the Information Architecture community, bringing together IA, UX, content strategy, and design practitioners from around the world. This year's theme, "Navigating Complexity: Clarity and Understanding with Information Architecture," explores how IA cuts through today's complex information systems to create experiences that let people thrive. The conference features workshops, keynotes, and sessions led by industry leaders in Information Architecture, Content Strategy, Product Design, and User Experience.

Use discount code WIA50 to get USD $50 off the main conference fee

Note: Cannot be used with other discounts or with subsidized ticket types such as unemployed or student.

Register →: https://www.theiaconference.com/

WIAA partners with UXtweak to build resources for global IA community

We're excited to announce our partnership with UXtweak, a user research platform committed to advancing information architecture through both practical tools and academic research. UXtweak publishes peer-reviewed studies that tackle critical questions facing IA practitioners—including their latest article in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.

Featured research: Card Sorting with Fewer Cards and the Same Mental Models? A Reexamination of an Established Practice

This study challenges conventional wisdom about card sorting methodology, exploring whether we can achieve reliable results with fewer cards—making this essential IA research method more efficient without compromising validity. Essential reading for anyone conducting card sorting studies or teaching IA methods.

Through this partnership, we’ll be using the UXtweak platform to create educational resources for the global IA community.

Read the full partnership announcement → https://www.information-architecture.world/blog/2026/11-feb-2026-tweak-partnership

About this newsletter

The World Information Architecture Digest is a monthly global newsletter featuring Information Architecture perspectives and resources for learning and professional development, as well as general news about the association behind World IA Day.

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