Jorge Arango
information architect
Jorge Arango
Jorge Arango is an architect by training and temperament. When the web arrived in the mid-1990s, I switched to UX design. Since then, he has architected digital experiences and “made the complex clear” for all sorts of organizations, from non-profits to Fortune-500 corporations.
He’s also the author of Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places and co-author of Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond.
Besides his design consulting practice, he also writes a blog, hosts a podcast, speaks at industry events, and teaches at the interaction design program at the California College of the Arts.
In your own words, what is curiosity?
Curiosity is a playful, open-ended mode of inquiry. Something sparks an awareness of your ignorance, and it entices rather than shames you.
What person, animal, or thing models curiosity best?
It’s a cliché, but children — those beautiful beings not yet beset with proving their worth — best model curiosity.
Curiosity is a playful, open-ended mode of inquiry.
What habits or practices do you have that cultivate curiosity?
Publicly acknowledging my ignorance. At the beginning of projects, I often warn customers that I’ll be asking ‘dumb’ questions. Doing so doesn’t cultivate curiosity per se, but it opens space for me to be curious.
What advice do you have for designers?
Optimizing for productivity can stunt curiosity, but open-ended inquiry can easily lapse into dawdling. Knowing when you’re about to go over that line takes awareness and practice. It’s fun to let curiosity lead you, but ultimately you have to make something valuable to others.
It’s fun to let curiosity lead you, but ultimately you have to make something valuable to others.