The ACIA received 149 responses to this survey, which ran from September 2 through September 6, 2001.

Survey Highlights

• Short Term Ambivalence: While the need for information architects should continue to grow, 39% of respondents believe the demand will actually decrease in the short term. This is most likely an expression of concern with the health of the IT industry in general.
• Long Term Optimism: In the long term, the percentage of those who feel demand will decrease drops to 11%; 47% expect demand to increase a little, and 32% expect it to increase a lot. And long term need will explode: 26% see it growing a little, and 62% see it growing a lot.
• Personal Optimism (or Hubris?): We are more optimistic about our own chances for success in the field relative to our colleagues. In the short term, only 25% of respondents felt they'd fare worse than colleagues; that number drops to 12% in the long term. Natural biasing, or perhaps we're an incredibly confident bunch?

Detailed Survey Results

1. Need for Information Architects (Short Term): How much will the need for information change over the next year? Compared to now, the world will need us...
2. Need for Information Architects (Long Term): How much will the need for information change over the next five years? Compared to now, the world will need us...

   

3. Demand for Information Architects (Short Term): How much will the demand for information change over the next year? Compared to now, will employers be hiring us...
4. Demand for Information Architects (Long Term): How much will the demand for information change over the next five years? Compared to now, will employers be hiring us...



5. Personal Career Outlook (Short Term): Relative to the field as a whole, how will your career as an information architect fare over the next year?
6. Personal Career Outlook (Long Term): Relative to the field as a whole, how will your career as an information architect fare over the next five years?

Following are different views of the data which compare need and demand for both the short and long terms.