[Information Design] What is Information Design?
Information Design is, at the most basic level, the way in which one presents information.
Robert Jacobson, in the book Information Design, uses the more comprehensive definition of "a unique design practice... [that's] purpose is the systematic arrangement and use of communication carriers, channels, and tokens to increase the understanding of those participating in a specific conversation or discourse." (p.4) In the Information Design Workbook by Kim Baer, the Society for Technical Communication's definition is utilized: "the translating [of] complex, unorganized, or unstructured data into valuable, meaningful information." (p.12)
Both definitions are attempting to encapsulate a very broad range of disciplines; from writing to graphic design to usability design. (That is, checking a system for how easy it is to navigate and use for its intended purpose.) The biggest difficulty in defining Information Design is that very broadness - most people would have a hard time putting computer programming and illustrating an issue of National Geographic into the same category, and yet both fall under different parts of Information Design. While my base definition holds, "the way in which one presents information" is overly simplistic in some regards, as it doesn't quite capture the creativity and skill needed to effectively communicate using Information Design disciplines.
This blog will be working to explore this definition further, among other things.
Jacobson, R. (2000) Information Design. The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA.
Baer, K. (2008) Information Design Workbook. Rockport Publishers: Beverly, MA.
Robert Jacobson, in the book Information Design, uses the more comprehensive definition of "a unique design practice... [that's] purpose is the systematic arrangement and use of communication carriers, channels, and tokens to increase the understanding of those participating in a specific conversation or discourse." (p.4) In the Information Design Workbook by Kim Baer, the Society for Technical Communication's definition is utilized: "the translating [of] complex, unorganized, or unstructured data into valuable, meaningful information." (p.12)
Both definitions are attempting to encapsulate a very broad range of disciplines; from writing to graphic design to usability design. (That is, checking a system for how easy it is to navigate and use for its intended purpose.) The biggest difficulty in defining Information Design is that very broadness - most people would have a hard time putting computer programming and illustrating an issue of National Geographic into the same category, and yet both fall under different parts of Information Design. While my base definition holds, "the way in which one presents information" is overly simplistic in some regards, as it doesn't quite capture the creativity and skill needed to effectively communicate using Information Design disciplines.
This blog will be working to explore this definition further, among other things.
Jacobson, R. (2000) Information Design. The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA.
Baer, K. (2008) Information Design Workbook. Rockport Publishers: Beverly, MA.
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