Happiness is taxonomy: four structures for Snoopy

Information Outlook, March, 2003 by Katherine Bertolucci

We could not use stock numbers exclusively, because the non-Determined samples had different kinds of numbers, and the artists were not going to ask for anything by number anyway. A request by number, such as a mail-order form, would also have the product's title.

One obvious organizing method would be to place the Determined products in one area, so mail-orders could be collected from one place. I didn't do that. We had plenty of time to fill those orders and only a few minutes to fulfill the artistic requests. Better to do a little hiking for the mail-order and get samples to the artists quickly.

I designed a classified structure that placed similar items together. For example, T-shirts were in the clothing section. In general, all the Determined products were shelved separately, and the samples, such as those from J.G. Hook, were adjacent. When Connie and Jim asked for T-shirts, they were swiftly gathered and delivered to the meeting.

In figure 4, there are separate sections for dolls and plush. Logically, the plush version of Snoopy is a doll; however, in the gift business, "plush" is its own technical term. The plush products at Determined were a major part of the line and tended to overwhelm the smaller "Dolls" section, so a separate "Plush" section was created.

As in the "Animal Rights" example, here alphabetical order promotes organizational goals. The "Plush [right arrow] Couturiers" area contained original fashions created for Snoopy and his sister Belle by prominent designers. These were sewn for a Parisian museum exhibit and photographed for the book Snoopy Around the World (Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1990). Snoopy and Belle pose in front of Sacre-Coeur wearing Guy Laroche sportswear. Then they're at the Alamo in salsa outfits by Victorio and Lucchino.

Logically, these elegantly dressed plush dolls should be placed with the other plush materials. However, we had a safety problem here: The plush area was highly active with mail-order. If I categorized the fashions as "Plush [right arrow] Fashion Designers," they would sit right in the middle of the regular mail-order dolls and their off-the-rack outfits. That's an accident waiting to happen. Instead, I used the term "Couturier," which places these beautiful creations at the beginning of the plush section, where they sat undisturbed until required on the runway.

Taxonomy can also be used to promote ideas within the organization. Linnaeus did this by placing humans and apes in the Primate order. I did the same thing with the term "Animal Rights." The very process of interacting with categories can inspire thinking. For example, by placing all the kitchen items in one place, two goals are accomplished. First, it is easy to collect and deliver similar items. Second, the juxtaposition may inspire new designs. Perhaps Determined is working with a cookware company. By looking at the categories, the designer can quickly see what has already been produced and possibly think of new ideas or new variations.