Whether we are driving around town, grocery shopping, or
surfing the web; we are relentlessly bombarded with information. Information
design is the discipline that provides a framework for developers/designers to organize,
develop, and portray information in an effective manor in order to achieve a specified
objective.
Consider a small bedroom cluttered with an enormous amount
of personal effects. It is critical that the bedroom is organized, and clean. Similar
items should be put next to each other so they are easy to find such as change
in a pile or in a piggy bank. We wouldn't want our pennies scattered around on
the floor. Blankets belong on the bed, clothes are placed in drawers, and so
on. If we tossed everything on the floor you would never be able to find what you're
looking for or even navigate around the room.
Information Design is similar to the small room full of
effects. There seems to always be an abundance of information and to small of a
space to display it. Organization, cleanliness, and ease of navigation are some
of the basics of information design. There are also target audiences to
consider, optimization, readability, and simplification. These are just a few
of the factors encompassing information design.
The way you compared information design to a small cluttered room is pretty accurate. There's information everywhere in it that is being displayed.
ReplyDeleteThank you Julie. When I tackle a development project I always feel like I am stuffing a three bedroom house into a studio apartment!
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