We architect information. Here is why and how.

Why: We believe that by improving the way we read and write, we can change how things work in this world.

How: We focus on basic principles of interface design and digital typography. The beauty of our designs is in how they work.

Result: Our sites produce over 3.4 billion page views per year. Our Web Trend Map has won the biggest design prize: It hangs on the wall of practically every big tech office in the world. Our articles are read by industry leaders and our tweets are followed by pretty much everybody (scroll down for a selection of our followers).

Our team is split up into a strategic and a production unit. In Zurich, we plan and structure, in Tokyo we design and develop. While most agencies need a sleep period, one half of iA is always at work. Combining the cultural strength of Japanese delicacy and Swiss organization, we get the best out of both worlds.

How We Work

We tell you what we think (you’ll be surprised how open we are). That’s not the easy way but it’s the only way. We don’t have a magical method that is more secret and more advanced than anyone else’s. Here is what we do:

1. We research
2. We draw wireframes
3. We create design sketches
4. We make prototypes
5. We test
6. We launch
7. We measure and optimize

Our websites work because we never get tired of learning and improving. The key to good work is not secrets but good staff. Good staff are what you pay for if you hire iA. The bad news about having good staff is:

• Good staff need a good salary
• Good staff need a nice working environment
• Good staff need rest
• Good staff only do work they are qualified for

For specialist tasks we work with the specialists in our network (see below). And these guys are very qualified and equally expensive.

There are exceptions, but we believe that working over hours as a habit leads to bad work. More bad news:

• We don’t do free pitches.
• We don’t work on weekends.
• We don’t work crazy long hours.
• We don’t finish presentations five minutes before the deadline.

History

Started in a small backroom in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo in 2005, Information Architects Inc. has become “…one of the best-known design agencies in the world.” (Corriere Della Sera).

iA is owned and managed by: Oliver Reichenstein, MA Philosophy, former senior brand consultant at Interbrand and Chris Lüscher, Partner, MA Sociology, former product manager at Tamedia.

iA has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and thousands of websites from around the globe. What makes us happy though is when people like Jakob Nielsen say:

You are one of the only people in twelve years to get (or at least state) that point about my site’s business value.

…or when newspaper design pope Mario García reviews our work and comes to the conclusion that it is:

Minimalist, efficient and aesthetically pleasing. A good recipe for any website. A great recipe for any design project. In its subtleness, the www.zeit.de concept becomes a design lesson for all of us.

Our dense personal network of leading designers and tech people in Japan, Europe and the USA makes sure that we stay in touch with the latest development in our industry.