From Chaos to Control — A Metadata Strategy & Information Architecture Masterclass

Welcome & Purpose

• A 3-hour, 7-module masterclass on Metadata Strategy and Information Architecture (IA).
• Built for people who work with enterprise content every day and are frustrated that it’s hard to find, govern, and trust.
• Not a platform tutorial and not a theory lecture — every framework and template is drawn from real IA projects.
• By the end of Module 7, you’ll have a working methodology you can apply to your organisation next week.

Who This Course Is For

• Information/records managers — gain a framework to lead the solution and win executive buy-in.
• Digital/IT professionals — design the metadata model before configuring any platform.
• Business analysts/data leads — understand the invisible infrastructure behind fast, trustworthy content access.
• Operations/compliance professionals — learn the governance structures auditors and legal teams expect.

Course Roadmap — 7 Modules

• Module 1: Why Metadata and IA Matter — the business case and core concepts.
• Module 2: Taxonomy Design — building and validating a classification system.
• Module 3: Metadata Standards — Dublin Core, ISO 23081, and when to use each.
• Module 4: Schema Design — building a production-ready metadata blueprint.
• Module 5: Folder Structures and File Plans — the physical layer and retention.
• Module 6: Findability, Governance, and Keeping Your IA Alive — measuring and sustaining success.
• Module 7: The Meridian Transformation — a capstone case study applying everything learned.

What You’ll Be Able to Do

• Design a metadata schema from scratch, field by field.
• Build a taxonomy validated through card sorting and tree testing before deployment.
• Align your schema to international standards (Dublin Core, ISO 23081).
• Design a folder structure and File Plan that survives org changes and automates retention.
• Measure search performance using precision, recall, and time-to-information metrics.
• Set up a governance structure that keeps your IA healthy for years.
• Make the business case for IA in clear, executive language.