A case study of an 18 month project at the Guardian that attempted to use linked data and automated pages to transform our culture coverage from a top-down experience, to a place where the audience can discuss any cultural event or artefact.

1. “The IA of /Culture"
Martin Belam
EuroIA, September 2011
Lead User Experience & Information Architect,
The Guardian
@currybet

2. The Guardian began in Manchester in 1821

3. We’ve been on the web since November 1995

4. And now we have quite a large website
Article - 1,321,362
Gallery - 14,657
Video - 10,735
Audio - 10,092
Table - 4942
Cartoon - 4150
Poll - 2738
Interactive - 2323
Quiz - 1290
Competition - 887
Microapps - 121
Total - 1,373,297

5. We wanted to “mutualise” our arts coverage
Photo by paularps - http://www.flickr.com/photos/slapers/2092300573/

6. There must be other voices worth listening to
Photo by batmoo - http://www.flickr.com/photos/batmoo/3734838375/

7. Especially at the more unusual events

8. Who wouldn't want to know what these two think?

9. Or this guy?

10. The review / release / consume cycle is out of synch
Preview night
Press screenings
Promo copies
Private view

11. The review / release / consume cycle is out of synch
Preview night Publish review
Press screenings
Promo copies
Private view

12. The review / release / consume cycle is out of synch
Preview night Publish review General release
Press screenings Available in iTunes
Promo copies Paperback/Kindle editions
Private view Public view

13. The review / release / consume cycle is out of synch
I liked their last
album, so this
should be good
Preview night Publish review General release
Press screenings Available in iTunes
Promo copies Paperback/Kindle editions
Private view Public view

14. The review / release / consume cycle is out of synch
I’ve changed my
mind now I’ve
heard it
Preview night Publish review General release
Press screenings Available in iTunes
Promo copies Paperback/Kindle editions
Private view Public view

15. And arts coverage is “top-down”
Critics
Works
Audiences

16. We wanted to add new voices...
Different
critics
Works
Audiences

17. ...covering a wider range of works...
Different
critics
More
works
Audiences

18. ...for a bigger audience. In a conversation.
Different
critics
More
works
Bigger
audiences

19. But where do you hang these “conversations”?
Photo by mollypop - http://www.flickr.com/photos/mymollypop/2645590591/

20. Robots are the answer!
Photo by jeffedoe - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffedoe/506027963/

21. We gave the developers a very vague brief

22. They used MusicBrainz as their base

23. Which provides a unique ID for every artist ever

24. Using that ID, they amazed us

25. We took that principle, and applied it to books

26. What did we do wrong?

27. Ignored previous experience
Photo by simiant - http://www.flickr.com/photos/simiant/29251526/

28. ISBNs are physical, not digital
Photo by Rev Dan Catt - http://www.flickr.com/photos/revdancatt/197037144/

29. Too few developers in too big a team
People making stuff

30. Too few developers in too big a team
People telling them
what they should make
People making stuff

31. Too few developers in too big a team
People making similar stuff at Amazon / LibraryThing / Anobii etc etc
People telling them
what they should make
People making stuff

32. Obsessed over design details

33. Went for a “Big bang” launch
The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared Light - photo from Hubble (NASA)

34. What did we do right?

35. We thought hard about the “lists” model

36. Used an “Objects / Properties / Actions” map

37. Gave developers a chance to be creative again

38. Improved our direct engagement with users

39. Where are we unsure?

40. Beware of “panda”

41. The new pages change the nature of our site...
100% original,
quality content

42. ...to one where original content is in the minority
100% original, 1.37m Guardian articles
quality content 3m music artist pages
8m books & author pages

43. We now have several different searches

44. Maybe it wasn’t a technology problem anyway?

45. 1 Know what is important
What is the goal you are
trying to attain.
And is new tech the answer?

46. 2 ISBNs are evil
Just to be clear -
ISBNs are fucking evil

47. 3 Trust good developers
Engaged developers can be
the most valuable asset on a
project.

48. 4 Listen to all of the team
Job titles and age don’t
matter if they have the right
answer or knowledge.

49. 5 Get the model right
Lists have been easier than
“pages” and “fronts” as we
had the model right.

50. 8

51. Thank you. Questions?