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The Understanding Group (TUG)

201 South Main Street, Ste 802
Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
734-884-8255
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The Understanding Group (TUG)

  • What We Do
  • How We Work
  • Problems We Solve
  • Who We Are
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Why do we imitate websites instead of innovating?

November 9, 2019 Daniel O'Neil
Imitation is cute when it’s a baby! https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Imitation is cute when it’s a baby! https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Why is imitation a common website strategy for companies instead of innovation? Because companies often don't know how to evaluate what a good site is.

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Mastery and Action: Designing Joyful Websites

November 9, 2019 Daniel O'Neil
Good vs Bad Design

Good vs Bad Design

Daniel O'Neil explains the Action/Mastery Matrix and how it can lead to good web design and a joyful user experience.

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Why Do You Need an Information Architect?

November 9, 2019 Daniel O'Neil
By Tomais Ashdene at Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

By Tomais Ashdene at Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Daniel O'Neil shares why information architecture is consistently the difference maker, in TUG's experience, when it comes to successful web projects.

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Product Managers’ Top 3 Misconceptions About Information Architecture

November 9, 2019 Daniel O'Neil

Many savvy, successful product managers (or people driving product management) are missing opportunities to succeed because of these myths about information architecture.

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The table stakes for your website is User Experience

November 9, 2019 Daniel O'Neil
Gamble, by Nico Buculei

Gamble, by Nico Buculei

Your company’s website user experience is being judged with every page view and online interaction. Does your site have what it takes to be competitive?

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Why Information Architecture Makes Projects Succeed

November 9, 2019 Daniel O'Neil
Combined Persona and Sitemap Blueprint for ACI

Combined Persona and Sitemap Blueprint for ACI

Why does Information Architecture have such a positive impact? Because the process creates a north star for digital projects.

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Explaining Information Architecture

November 9, 2019 Dan Klyn

In this four-minute video, Explaining IA, Dan Klyn gives a brief history of the field of Information Architecture beginning with Richard Saul Wurman.

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Language is Infrastructure

November 9, 2019 Andrew Hinton
lang_infra_graphic2.png

Choose your words carefully: the success of your digital environment depends on the clarity of the language you use for your semantic building blocks.

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Welcome Video and Reflections On The 3rd Annual World Information Architecture Day

November 9, 2019 Dan Klyn

TUG has been a global sponsor of World IA Day since its inception, and our staff & alum have served in volunteer capacities at the local and global levels. This video welcomes global WIAD 2014 attendees and introduces some information architecture concepts.

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Lessons from WIAD 2012

November 9, 2019 The Understanding Group
Screen-Shot-2015-05-27-at-3.21.17-PM.png

Information architect Jessica DuVerneay discusses the benefits of being the global organizer of World Information Architecture Day (WIAD) in 2012.

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Making Places: Key Ideas from Midwest UX 2013

November 9, 2019 The Understanding Group
Abby Covert, Opening Keynote – Midwest UX 2013

Abby Covert, Opening Keynote – Midwest UX 2013

Reflections on Midwest UX 2013 which had the theme of Placemaking. Abby Covert presented a talk on the "Taxonomy of Placemaking", Andrew Hinton discussed "Language as Infrastructure", and Christina Wodtke shared on how "Places Make Us".

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Social Intranets & Social Patterns: Highlights from Christian Crumlish’s Talk

November 9, 2019 The Understanding Group
My husband made this portmanteau of Christian Crumlish + ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time’ for me the night of the talk because I was so jazzed that I wouldn’t stop saying this phrase most of June 2013.

My husband made this portmanteau of Christian Crumlish + ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time’ for me the night of the talk because I was so jazzed that I wouldn’t stop saying this phrase most of June 2013.

Jessica DuVerneay reflects on Christian Crumlish's talk at the July 2013 IxDA conference on "Designing Social Interfaces" about social intranets.

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Thought on Lenses: Why IA Summit is So Special

November 9, 2019 The Understanding Group

Information architect Kaarin Hoff reflects on the what makes the Information Architecture (IA) Summit, a practitioners' conference, so meaningful.

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World IA Day 2016 in Milwaukee, WI

November 9, 2019 Joe Elmendorf
A full room in Milwaukee for World IA Day 2016!

A full room in Milwaukee for World IA Day 2016!

Joe Elmendorf writes about kicking off Milwaukee's first World IA Day event in 2016.

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Remember the Meta-Project

November 9, 2019 The Understanding Group

Remember to step back and look at the bigger picture of user experience and context to learn see what it takes to make a truly great product.

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What Happens when IAs Meet Building Architects?

November 9, 2019 The Understanding Group
Vitruvius-300x300.png

The parallels of building architecture and information architecture came to life when client of TUG's was updating both their building and their website.

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UX and Business: Thoughts from UX STRAT 2013

November 9, 2019 Bob Royce

User experience and business must work together: UX firms need to show how experience is a performance measure on price/performance continuum.

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Setting up AI for Success with IA

November 9, 2019 Bob Royce

Artificial intelligence can be a benefit to your business, but only if you are asking the right questions before you start.

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A $10 Differentiation Between Architecture and Design

November 9, 2019 Dan Klyn
10-bill.jpeg

Your project is a cloth. Architecture makes cuts. Design makes the resulting pieces the best ones possible, solving problems toward a goal.

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Thinking Like a Developer vs an Information Architect

November 9, 2019 Joe Elmendorf

Developer-turned-information architect Joe Elmendorf muses on the competing mental processes required for each role.

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