DataWeek Conference + Expo

Information paralysis & inaction is not universal. Look around you, and you will notice that everyone processes information differently — so what constitutes "overload?" Because information overload looks can take many forms by situation, by person, or even by location, there is no universal way to manage it. For example, why must some people achieve inbox-zero, while others get along perfectly well at inbox–infinity? Why is my work email inbox-zero but my personal email is inbox-infinity?

“Information overload” is really “cognitive overload,” which is a function of how information is processed given the situation we are in and the task we are trying to accomplish. It’s not the amount of information that’s the problem, then, but the form in which it’s presented to the user. Using case studies, this session will explore how context affects the information architecture. It's critical to personalize what sort of information to deliver, and how to deliver it, to each business role—because role, device, origin and situation are the difference between information overload and information paradise.