The Information Architecture to me is the foundation of a scope discussion. You gotta know what you’re making before you can make it.
Keeping the scope under control is everything.
Nothing is free. Features take time, and there is always a budget. Having a break down of all the possible/desired features in a visual format can help communicate just how much work there is to do. This makes for an easier discussion amongst the team’s varied styles of thinking and priorities.
This exercise also helps me connect the dots for the Player. My goal is always to get the Player to feel like a thumb wizard. I strive to mind meld with the network of the product, and guide thumbs through it like mystic warriors. If I do this well, the UI will feel like an extension of your consciousness in the game. It is a Sisyphean challenge that I aim to slay.
Lots of staring at the wall might happen during this phase.
Sample Below: Ninja Flow Concept
This first draft of an IA/Feature Set included ALL the bells and whistles. We pared down from here, but not enough. The project ran on too long, pivoted too much, and ended up on the trash heap of history. One of the rare projects that got away.
Failure is an opportunity to learn where the dragons lie.
