Making the world a clearer place one sensemaker at a time.

Illustration of a messy pile with pieces of information. A figure stands next to the pile with a thought bubble containing ways to organize that information.

I help you to make the unclear, clear.

My name is Abby Covert. If you wish to use pronouns to refer to me, please use she or her. I am an author, teacher and community leader in the field of information architecture. My work aims to make information architecture and sensemaking skills accessible to everyone.

I am the Chief Sensemaker at The Sensemakers Club where I curate daily peer-led discussions about topics like information, governance, change, leadership, knowledge management and ethics (just to name a few of the 20+ topics we host per month)

Our membership dues operate on a sliding scale, which enables us to provide a one-to-one ratio of paying members to scholarship members. I host one FREE public discussion a month, as well as members-only IA office hours, special networking events and diagram critiques.

My passion is writing for, speaking to, and teaching people who are bravely facing or feeling stuck on messes made of information and people. I am an independent creator, who self publishes all her own work so the best way to support me is to buy my work directly from me.

I have written two books to help my students:

How to Make Sense of Any Mess demystifies information architecture (IA) into a practical skill set that anyone can apply to any context. 

Stuck? Diagrams Help. is a field guide for the trek from diagram novice to diagram nerd.

“I believe information architecture has the power to make the world a clearer place.”

Abby at home in her studio, surrounded by books

Starting in my early twenties I embarked on a unique journey towards community leadership in the IA field while uncovering a passion to write about and teach information architecture. 

Here are some of the community leadership roles I have been proud to serve in:

In 2020 I chose me and resigned from my last IA position to focus full time on writing, teaching and community organizing. 

I started an Etsy Shop to share low cost products and guides from my toolkit and started to gather a community of sensemakers all over the world via a monthly mailing list.

In 2022 I started The Sensemakers Club to produce education for and opportunities to connect more deeply with that community. 

The jewel in my calendar each year is hosting Makesensemess, an annual celebration of sensemaking on the first Friday of November. Each year I work with a group of brave sensemakers to share stories of messes they have made sense of. I usually leave with a few hundred new friends, and it’s a blast. 

Latest Education Materials

Latest IArticles

You can also see the latest of my writing here.

If you want to keep up with my work, the best way is to join my email list where I write a monthly update on what I am working on or thinking about. 

If you want to directly support my work, the best way is through purchasing something directly from me, like buying a product from my Shop or starting membership at The Sensemakers Club.