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Call for Speakers: World IA Day LA 2026

This year's theme: Design for Meaning
We're curating a one-day / single-track conference where every talk connects to tell a larger story about how we design meaning into the world. This isn't a collection of general meetup talks - we're building a cohesive narrative that unfolds throughout the day. We want to make sure that we’re talking about Information Architecture and really highlight that layer and its importance.

So, what does "Design for Meaning" mean?

Themes:

1.) We design to discover and shape meaning

- What IS information architecture? (for new people, but as a reminder for those of us that take it for granted)
- Who's doing this work (with or without the title)?
- The practice of making the invisible visible
- Methods for discovering what things should mean
Topics might include: IA fundamentals, career paths, methodologies, making IA visible, the bigger picture and how IA plays it’s very important part.

2.) The things we design help people find meaning in the chaos

- Hospital wayfinding that prevents panic
- Government forms that actually get people help
- Crisis dashboards that save lives
- News structures that combat confusion
(or things that are creating more confusion)
Topics might include: case studies, before/after transformations, real-world impact, stories from the angle of designers, stakeholders, and users.

3.) We design as a way of life that brings us personal meaning

- Why this work matters beyond the paycheck
- Building community around clarity
- The responsibility of designing meaning
- Growing together as practitioners
- How AI could help or hurt our work outcomes and our connection to the craft
Topics might include: community building, professional growth, future of IA, the invisible impact of our work.

Talk formats we're looking for:

Main talks: ~30-40 minutes (and possible Q/A) - These anchor our sessions and dig deep into one of our themes

Lightning talks: ~10 minutes - Quick insights, techniques, types of IA, or provocations that add texture to the day

Interactive sessions: Various lengths - Get attendees involved through activities, workshops, or collaborative exercises

What we need from you:

Tell us your idea - even if it's rough. We're here to help shape talks, create supporting materials, or develop interactive elements. This is about contributing to a larger conversation, not delivering a polished presentation you've given elsewhere (but that might also fit ;)

In your application, please include:

Email

Your name

Any additional information you'd like to share (pronunciation, pronouns, etc.)

Your core insight, question, or story / A brief description of what you want to share (2-3 sentences is fine):

Where did you hear about this call-for-speakers?

Which theme your talk addresses (or how it might connect multiple themes):

What format works best for your content (main talk, lightning talk, or either)?

What format works best for your content (main talk, lightning talk, or either)?

Whether this is new material or something you've presented before (and how you might be tailoring it)

What kind of support would help you develop this talk?

Not every idea needs to be fully formed. If you have a question you want to explore or an observation that needs unpacking, that's perfect. We'll work with selected speakers to ensure talks complement each other and build momentum throughout the day.