Making the world a clearer place one sensemaker at a time.
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 also offer sensemaking sessions on a first come, first serve basis. This is a one on one chance to work with me on making sense of your mess.
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.”
Latest Education Materials
- Making Sense of Yourself, a peership and community-driven program of self exploration.
- IA for Everybody, a FREE 30 minute video course introducing the concept of IA.
- How to Diagram, a 90 minute video eCourse that includes access to my Diagram Critique BINGO games
- The Practitioner’s Guide to How to Make Sense of Any Mess, a seven week written course taking you from IA curious to practicing IA confidently. This includes access to my monthly IA office hours where students can ask questions and meet sensemakers from all around the world.
- The Teacher’s Guide to How to Make Sense of Any Mess, a set of seven independent modules designed to help teachers integrate IA principles and lessons in their course work. Includes access to a monthly teachers meeting I host.
You can also see the latest of my writing here.
About My Journey
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:
- Founder of The Sensemakers Club, a not-so-secret club for sensemakers seeking community
- Inventor of World Information Architecture Day, a free global celebration of IA serving thousands in their local communities annually
- President of the Information Architecture Institute from 2014–2016
- Co-chair of the IA Summit (now IAC) in 2014
- Executive Producer of the IDEA 2009 & 2010
- Executive Producer of the IA Summit 2010 & 2012
- Founding faculty member of SVA’s Products of Design Masters Program
- Founding curator of the Design Operations Summit
- Founding curator of the Advancing Research Conference
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.
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, booking a personal sensemaking session or starting a membership at The Sensemakers Club.