How to Make Sense of Any Mess (/assets/favicon.ico) (/assets/css/main.css)  HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF ANY MESS  (http://www.abbytheia.com) by Abby Covert   (/) Table of Contents  (/indexed-lexicon/) Indexed Lexicon  (/resources/) IA Resources  (https://abbycovert.com/make-sense/) Buy the Book    (Search Site)    Front Matter (/dedication/) Dedication  (/about/) About this book  (/introduction/) Introduction  (/acknowledgements/) Acknowledgements  (/chapter/1/identify-the-mess/) Chapter 1: Identify the Mess  (/chapter/1/page/5/messes-are-made-of-information-and-people/) Messes are made of information and people.  (/chapter/1/page/6/its-hard-to-shine-a-light-on-the-messes-we-face/) It’s hard to shine a light on the messes we face.  (/chapter/1/page/7/information-architecture-is-all-around-you/) Information architecture is all around you.  (/chapter/1/page/8/things-may-change-the-messes-stay-the-same/) Things may change; the messes stay the same.  (/chapter/1/page/9/people-architect-information/) People architect information.  (/chapter/1/page/10/every-thing-is-complex/) Every thing is complex.  (/chapter/1/page/11/knowledge-is-complex/) Knowledge is complex.  (/chapter/1/page/12/every-thing-has-information/) Every thing has information.  (/chapter/1/page/13/whats-information/) What’s information?  (/chapter/1/page/14/information-is-not-data-or-content/) Information is not data or content.  (/chapter/1/page/15/information-is-architected-to-serve-different-need/) Information is architected to serve different needs.  (/chapter/1/page/16/users-are-complex/) Users are complex.  (/chapter/1/page/17/stakeholders-are-complex/) Stakeholders are complex.  (/chapter/1/page/18/to-do-is-to-know/) To do is to know.  (/chapter/1/page/19/meet-carl/) Meet Carl.  (/chapter/1/page/20/its-your-turn/) It’s your turn.  (/chapter/1/page/21/draw-your-mess/) Draw your mess.  (/chapter/2/state-your-intent/) Chapter 2: State your Intent  (/chapter/2/page/22/intent-is-language/) Intent is language.  (/chapter/2/page/23/what-is-good/) What is good ?  (/chapter/2/page/24/good-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/) Good is in the eye of the beholder.  (/chapter/2/page/25/looking-good-versus-being-good/) Looking good versus being good.  (/chapter/2/page/26/meaning-can-get-lost-in-translation/) Meaning can get lost in translation.  (/chapter/2/page/27/who-matters/) Who matters?  (/chapter/2/page/28/start-with-why/) Start with why .  (/chapter/2/page/29/what-before-how/) What before how .  (/chapter/2/page/30/how-varies-widely/) How varies widely.  (/chapter/2/page/31/why-what-and-how-are-deeply-interrelated/) Why , what , and how are deeply interrelated.  (/chapter/2/page/32/language-is-the-material-of-intent/) Language is the material of intent.  (/chapter/2/page/33/meet-karen/) Meet Karen.  (/chapter/2/page/34/state-your-intent/) State your intent.  (/chapter/2/page/35/choose-your-words/) Choose your words.  (/chapter/3/face-reality/) Chapter 3: Face Reality  (/chapter/3/page/36/by-facing-reality-we-can-find-solutions/) By facing reality, we can find solutions.  (/chapter/3/page/37/reality-involves-many-players/) Reality involves many players.  (/chapter/3/page/38/reality-involves-many-factors/) Reality involves many factors.  (/chapter/3/page/39/reality-happens-across-channels-and-contexts/) Reality happens across channels and contexts.  (/chapter/3/page/40/reality-has-many-intersections/) Reality has many intersections.  (/chapter/3/page/41/reality-doesnt-always-fit-existing-patterns/) Reality doesn’t always fit existing patterns.  (/chapter/3/page/42/objects-let-us-have-deeper-conversations-about-rea/) Objects let us have deeper conversations about reality.  (/chapter/3/page/43/start-with-scope-and-scale/) Start with scope and scale.  (/chapter/3/page/44/timescale-matters/) Timescale matters.  (/chapter/3/page/45/rhetoric-matters/) Rhetoric matters.  (/chapter/3/page/46/architecture-before-design/) Architecture before design.  (/chapter/3/page/47/keep-it-tidy/) Keep it tidy.  (/chapter/3/page/48/expand-your-toolbox/) Expand your toolbox.  (/chapter/3/page/49/1-block-diagram/) 1. Block Diagram   (/chapter/3/page/50/2-flow-diagram/) 2. Flow Diagram   (/chapter/3/page/51/3-gantt-chart/) 3. Gantt Chart   (/chapter/3/page/52/4-quadrant-diagram/) 4. Quadrant Diagram   (/chapter/3/page/53/5-venn-diagram/) 5. Venn Diagram   (/chapter/3/page/54/6-swim-lane-diagram/) 6. Swim Lane Diagram   (/chapter/3/page/55/7-hierarchy-diagram/) 7. Hierarchy Diagram   (/chapter/3/page/56/8-mind-map/) 8. Mind Map   (/chapter/3/page/57/9-schematic/) 9. Schematic   (/chapter/3/page/58/10-journey-map/) 10. Journey Map    (/chapter/3/page/59/try-diagramming/) Try diagramming.  (/chapter/3/page/60/meet-maggie/) Meet Maggie.  (/chapter/3/page/61/face-your-reality/) Face your reality.  (/chapter/3/page/62/diagram-your-reality/) Diagram your reality.  (/chapter/4/choose-a-direction/) Chapter 4: Choose a Direction  (/chapter/4/page/63/moving-from-why-to-what/) Moving from why to what .  (/chapter/4/page/64/we-work-at-different-levels/) We work at different levels.  (/chapter/4/page/65/what-are-you-making/) What are you making?  (/chapter/4/page/66/these-levels-deeply-affect-one-another/) These levels deeply affect one another.  (/chapter/4/page/67/we-make-places/) We make places.  (/chapter/4/page/68/there-are-spaces-between-the-places-we-make/) There are spaces between the places we make.  (/chapter/4/page/69/language-matters/) Language matters.  (/chapter/4/page/70/reduce-linguistic-insecurity/) Reduce linguistic insecurity.  (/chapter/4/page/71/understand-ontology/) Understand ontology.  (/chapter/4/page/72/your-ontology-already-exists/) Your ontology already exists.  (/chapter/4/page/73/design-with-not-for/) Design with , not for.  (/chapter/4/page/74/create-a-list-of-words-you-say/) Create a list of words you say.  (/chapter/4/page/75/create-a-list-of-words-you-dont-say/) Create a list of words you don’t say.  (/chapter/4/page/76/words-i-dont-say-in-this-ebook/) Words I don’t say in this eBook.  (/chapter/4/page/77/define-terms-for-outsiders/) Define terms for outsiders.  (/chapter/4/page/78/understand-the-past/) Understand the past.  (/chapter/4/page/79/think-about-nouns-and-verbs/) Think about nouns and verbs.  (/chapter/4/page/80/think-about-relationships-between-nouns-and-verbs/) Think about relationships between nouns and verbs.  (/chapter/4/page/81/watch-out-for-options-and-opinions/) Watch out for options and opinions.  (/chapter/4/page/82/opinions-are-like/) Opinions are like…  (/chapter/4/page/83/admit-where-you-are/) Admit where you are.  (/chapter/4/page/84/meet-rasheed/) Meet Rasheed.  (/chapter/4/page/85/control-your-vocabulary/) Control your vocabulary.  (/chapter/4/page/86/choose-a-direction/) Choose a direction.  (/chapter/5/measure-the-distance/) Chapter 5: Measure the Distance  (/chapter/5/page/87/theres-distance-between-reality-and-your-intent/) There’s distance between reality and your intent.  (/chapter/5/page/88/goals-are-our-lens-on-the-world/) Goals are our lens on the world.  (/chapter/5/page/89/progress-is-as-important-to-measure-as-success/) Progress is as important to measure as success.  (/chapter/5/page/90/indicators-help-us-measure-progress/) Indicators help us measure progress.  (/chapter/5/page/91/common-indicators/) Common indicators.  (/chapter/5/page/92/use-worksheets-to-mine-data-from-people/) Use worksheets to mine data from people.  (/chapter/5/page/93/baselines-help-us-stay-in-touch-with-reality/) Baselines help us stay in touch with reality.  (/chapter/5/page/94/flags-tell-us-if-were-headed-in-the-right-directio/) Flags tell us if we’re headed in the right direction.  (/chapter/5/page/95/measurements-have-rhythm/) Measurements have rhythm.  (/chapter/5/page/96/fuzzy-is-normal/) Fuzzy is normal.  (/chapter/5/page/97/meet-jim/) Meet Jim.  (/chapter/5/page/98/set-your-goals/) Set your goals.  (/chapter/5/page/99/measure-the-distance/) Measure the distance.  (/chapter/6/play-with-structure/) Chapter 6: Play with Structure  (/chapter/6/page/100/there-are-many-ways-to-structure-things/) There are many ways to structure things.  (/chapter/6/page/101/taxonomy-is-how-we-arrange-things/) Taxonomy is how we arrange things.  (/chapter/6/page/102/we-combine-taxonomies-to-create-unique-forms/) We combine taxonomies to create unique forms.  (/chapter/6/page/103/sorting-is-easier-than-deciding-how-to-sort/) Sorting is easier than deciding how to sort.  (/chapter/6/page/104/classification-can-be-exact-or-ambiguous/) Classification can be exact or ambiguous.  (/chapter/6/page/105/ambiguity-costs-clarity-exactitude-costs-flexibili/) Ambiguity costs clarity; exactitude costs flexibility.  (/chapter/6/page/106/ambiguity-hides-in-simplicity/) Ambiguity hides in simplicity.  (/chapter/6/page/107/facets-are-the-lenses-we-use-to-classify/) Facets are the lenses we use to classify.  (/chapter/6/page/108/identify-facets/) Identify facets.  (/chapter/6/page/109/humans-are-complex/) Humans are complex.  (/chapter/6/page/110/the-way-you-organize-things-says-a-lot-about-you/) The way you organize things says a lot about you.  (/chapter/6/page/111/taxonomies-can-be-hierarchical-or-heterarchical/) Taxonomies can be hierarchical or heterarchical.  (/chapter/6/page/112/taxonomies-can-be-sequential/) Taxonomies can be sequential.  (/chapter/6/page/113/hypertexts-bridge-taxonomies/) Hypertexts bridge taxonomies.  (/chapter/6/page/114/most-things-need-a-mix-of-taxonomic-approaches/) Most things need a mix of taxonomic approaches.  (/chapter/6/page/115/meet-joan/) Meet Joan  (/chapter/6/page/116/play-with-structure/) Play with Structure  (/chapter/6/page/117/learn-these-patterns/) Learn these patterns.  (/chapter/7/prepare-to-adjust/) Chapter 7: Prepare to Adjust  (/chapter/7/page/118/adjustments-are-a-part-of-reality/) Adjustments are a part of reality.  (/chapter/7/page/119/the-sum-is-greater-than-its-parts/) The sum is greater than its parts.  (/chapter/7/page/120/its-easy-to-reach-agreement-alone/) It’s easy to reach agreement alone.  (/chapter/7/page/121/argue-about-discuss-it-until-its-clear/) Argue about discuss it until it’s clear.  (/chapter/7/page/122/if-it-isnt-under-the-floorboards-its-a-facade/) If it isn’t under the floorboards, it’s a façade.  (/chapter/7/page/123/we-serve-many-masters/) We serve many masters.  (/chapter/7/page/124/make-room-for-information-architecture/) Make room for information architecture.  (/chapter/7/page/125/hey-nice-ia-said-no-one-ever/) “Hey, nice IA!” — said no one, ever.  (/chapter/7/page/126/be-the-filter-not-the-grounds/) Be the filter, not the grounds.  (/chapter/7/page/127/this-is-hard/) This is hard.  (/chapter/7/page/128/its-far-more-rewarding-than-hard/) It’s far more rewarding than hard.  (/chapter/7/page/129/meet-abby/) Meet Abby.  (/chapter/7/page/130/make-sense-yet/) Make sense yet?   (https://abbycovert.com/make-sense/) (How To Make Sense of Any Mess Book Cover)   © 2025 (http://www.abbytheia.com) Abby Covert