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World IA Day

Join us for World Information Architecture Day 2025

Let’s explore the challenges of change in our evolving world together.

By: Soyeon Lee

13 October 2024 — If you are eager to learn, you have likely explored various methods: reading, taking online courses, and on-the-job training, among others. Engaging with the local community and attending gatherings can also be excellent ways to grow and learn.

You can observe the industry landscape and gain valuable firsthand experiences from speakers and attendees. These interactions can lead to potential career and collaboration opportunities.

Most importantly, sharing and discussing your thoughts and ideas with like-minded individuals is an exciting endeavour. World IA Day aims to create cherished memories for you by fostering local design communities.

What is World IA Day?

World IA Day is a one-day celebration of Information Architecture, held globally on the same day.

Established in 2012, this event has fostered discussions within the community on evolving topics such as ‘Architecting Happiness,’ ‘IA for Good,’ and ‘Design for Difference,’ among others.

In 2024, 33 events took place in various locations around the world. Isn’t it exciting that we engage in discussions on the same topic, on the same day, across over 30 locations globally?

It will return on March 8, 2025, and this year’s theme is ‘Challenges of Change: Adapting Information Architecture for an Evolving World.’

My journey with World IA Day Hong Kong

I organised World IA Day Hong Kong from 2017 to 2019, inspired by World IA Day Tokyo. After moving to Hong Kong in 2015, I aimed to build a design community, and World IA Day served as a great motivation for me.

In 2017, the event was a casual excursion to the Hong Kong Museum of History, where we discussed the architectural structure and wayfinding of the venue. It was enjoyable, but I recognised the need for a more structured approach.

In 2018, I adopted a more ambitious plan and invited multiple speakers from Japan, Singapore, and, of course, Hong Kong. Manabu Ueno’s talk on ‘Modeless Design’ was particularly well-received by the audience, and afterward, we enjoyed some delicious dim sum together.

Modal, from Manabu Ueno’s talk, ‘Modeless design’
Modeless, also from Manabu Ueno’s talk

In 2019, the event became even more exciting. I invited Tomomi Sasaki from AQ Japan, who expertly organised a sprint workshop to brainstorm the future of Hong Kong together. I could see smiles on everyone’s faces as they enjoyed the workshop. Marc Harrod, my former colleague, presented on inclusive design, and his talk was incredibly informative.

Marc Harrod presenting

Embracing challenges and taking a step forward

After a series of successful events, I encountered two challenges.

One, as everyone knows, was the pandemic situation. The other was that I felt a bit burnt out from organising large-scale events all by myself. Ultimately, I decided to put the events on pause.

However, this year, Grace G Lau, the co-president of the World IA Association, invited me to join as part of the board. I realised that I don’t have to do everything alone — there is a supportive community after all.

So, World IA Day Hong Kong will return next year. While it may be a small gathering, I plan to facilitate meaningful conversations within the local community and possibly collaborate with other locations.

Connect with our community

You can take action now to become part of the community:

Are you in Hong Kong and interested in joining the event?

Please connect with me on LinkedIn, where I will keep you updated: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soyeonlee-theuxer/.

Are you interested in attending the event in your area?

Discover your nearest location and join us there! More locations will be announced soon: https://www.worldiaday.org/events

Are you interested in organising World IA Day?

It doesn’t have to be a large-scale event. Meeting up at a coffee shop for a chat can be a great start in your location. You can apply here: https://www.worldiaday.org/call-for-locations.

Are you an organiser in the APAC region?

I would love to connect with you and discuss how we can collaborate to make the event more meaningful. Feel free to drop me a comment or contact me via LinkedIn.

Do you want to know more about the association?

You can explore the following resources:

Tags: World IA Day

About World Information Architecture Association

The World Information Architecture Association is a global community of professionals dedicated to the advancement of information architecture, a discipline devoted to the understanding of how information is structured and understood. We are committed to promoting the understanding and practice of information architecture through education, research, and collaboration.

Learn more at information-architecture.world

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