Meet Jenn Mazza: Director of Global Sponsorships for World IA Association & Senior Functional Product Analyst at Highmark Health
Board Spotlight
We’re very excited to introduce some of the people, organizations, and companies behind World IA Association. Today, we’re introducing a prior Committee Member for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania events at World IA Day and now a Director of Global Sponsorships of World IA Day.
Tell us about your journey to information architecture and/or World IA Day
Since early in my career, I’ve been intrigued with database design, schemas, data dictionaries, & business glossaries. Creating visual & logical representations of relationships helps to bring order to chaos. IA is everywhere! Taxonomy, labels, structure, & precision matter. I’ve applied IA concepts in various roles across multiple industries always with a passion for user experience including intuitive website design, UI prototyping, application development, & requirements management. I’m a tough consumer in my personal life which drives me to create optimal products for others.
Why and in what ways are you involved with World IA Day?
I have thoroughly enjoyed volunteering on the WIAD Pittsburgh Planning Committees for the last 3 years after getting hooked on both the event and the community in 2019. Pittsburgh hosts a very robust conference with a blend of programming formats. Among many great memories is the successful addition of live captioning for attendee accessibility.
I’m honored to join the Global Board which has been so fantastic to work with. As a global board member, I enjoy advancing the study and application of IA with our 2023 incredibly fun theme of Orientation & Wayfinding. After all, IA is about ordering the objects of our world so that others can access without struggle.
What inspires you about information architecture?
For me, the IA community is a rich source of inspiration & shared learning. I’ve noticed that most of the best things in life are a mix of art & science, and Information Architecture is a perfect example. Cultivating global sponsorships helps generate extremely valuable connections among attendees and market-leading corporations for an overall win-win.
