I’ve moved to a new department at work and shifted my role from that of a tech support guru to a fledgling information architect. Since I’m new, I’m trying to assimilate new information on my role in the website building process at a much higher rate than I’ve had to learn anything since my master’s. It feels good.

At the same time, I’m finding that the information gathering is also much easier than studying 5 years ago, because of my iPhone. I’m currently reading a great book on information architecture which constantly constantly constantly references other works. In the past i’d’ve jotted them all down and then promptly lost the list. Or i’d’ve read in front of the computer, a difficult task on nights like tonight when my head is throbbing.

Tonight, though, when I trip over one of these gems, I’m grabbing my phone and hitting Safari. The websites are going right into my “investigate these” bookmark collection and the book titles are getting thrown into Amazon via their iPhone beta site where I can dump them right into my info architecture wish list for later buying. Best yet, I can easily access either list from my work computer (once I sync the phone tonight at home) and get recommendations for a reading priority from the more tenured IAs at work.
I can even blog about it while finishing chapter three.

I like this. It’s like having an external hard drive for my brain.