Information Design Process.

There are four steps to the information design process. It is important to note that these steps are not concrete and this is simply a guideline. The first step pertains to information gathering. Before the project can be considered one must define the scope, identify the target audience, and develop a fundamental understanding for the substance.  The client needs to be intricately involved with this process. Scope pertains to recognizing specific deliverables, boundaries, and requirements for the project. It is critical that the components of the scope are well defined. The target audience is the specific group within the market which our product will me aimed at. Everything contained within this first step defines the foundation for which the rest of the project will be build on. Matters such as scope creep, scope changes, or incorrectly identifying the target audience will disrupt any venture.

Step two is The Creative Brief. Page 50 of the Information Design Workbook defines this brief as a document that "outlines the pertinent information about the project so that the entire team has a clear sense of the project's background and goals. This short document serves as a unambiguous plan to help guide the design process. This will assist with keeping the project on track. The creative brief will also serve to assist the members of the team that were not part of the first step and for those personal that join the team later on in the development process. Baer points out on page 53 of the Information Design Workbook that the client should be involved with the creative brief approval and sign off. This is to ensure that the brief is aligned with the clients expectations for the design project.

Step three is the Persona and Scenario phase of the project. This is where the target audience comes into play. The idea here is to create a persona not focused on the whole target audience, but instead spotlight specific individuals within that audience. This approach allows the design team to ensure that user expectations and needs are being met.  There are many ways to develop these scenarios. Page 60 of the workbook points out that a truly effective approach is to have the design team work directly with the client. The client often times understands the end user better than the design team does. In turn, the design team will "ask valuable questions and even question certain client assumptions" (Baer 60). Successful implementation of personas or scenarios will help define the project and to identify any gaps that exist in the design process.

Step four is the prototype stage. Trial products will be developed for testing. Prototypes come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. They can be complete workups or even something made from paper or cardboard. They are models that will represent the end product or perhaps just a portion or segment of the end product. Prototypes are used for experimental evaluation before the final product is developed. There are numerous testing techniques, processes, and methods that can be used. Live user testing can be performed and surveys can be conducted. There are countless possibilities in rearguards to testing and it really depends on the specific project. Regardless of the form of prototype used and level of testing conducted, it is critical that any issues be identified in this stage of development. Once a final product comes online, it will be detrimental to have to go back and correct problems.

I only have four steps listed here that make up the information design process. However, I am suggesting that a fifth phase be considered. I call this step the maintenance step.  Information is ever changing as are the needs of the audience. Rarely are things static in the world of information design. The maintenance stage will ensure periodic checks for project effectiveness. Perhaps a meeting with the designer and the client every so often to evaluate the products success would be appropriate.