Information Design

• Present information, convey meaning and experience to user
  • Information is presented with a goal, a theme and in a logical flow
  • It involves narrative architecture of storytelling, i.e. structuring and organizing data
  • Important Consideration
• Information should be accurate and clear with fact check from different reliable sources
  • Presentation should be clear, concise and visually engaging
  • Progression from simple to complex, major to minor
• Content presented is the end and navigation are the mean
• Assistance to find information by visual hint (color or lines), search or guide
• Memory reinforcement by briefing before and summary afterwards
• Process
• Collection of data
• Grouping of data by type and categories, e.g. time, location or function
• Ranking of data by importance and use frequency
• Mapping data into different use and grouping
• Determine presentation method and sequence
  • Information delivered to user steps by steps in sequence
  • Information is grouped and let user to select and explore in depth
  • Only relevant information is delivered to user based on collected or anticipated preference
• Finalize information structure with following information model:

Linear, hierarchical, web, parallel, matrix, overlay, spatial

• Information Arts
• Information could be presented in the form of text, graphics, sound and video in the form of label, menu, tables, navigation planes, icons, maps, infographics or animation
• Infographics Design Guideline
• Graph is common use for information presentation
  • Classification
• Main information needs to be attractive and arouse user awareness
• Secondary information needs to be clear and organized in hierarchy
• Supporting details could be added for supplementary information
  • Core
    • Show category before fact
    • No need to report everything in details but group data
    • Avoid keys but use labels on graph

• Metaphor
  • Graphics stronger than text to convey information
  • Represent real world data in simplicity
  • Pure graphics lead to wrong interpretation, add simple text if necessary
  • Strengthen impression by
    • Specific typefaces for Headlines or Title on top
    • Markers to text information or icons
    • Popup text box with short text and background shadow
    • Pictograms or map
  • Strong effect by using
    • Rating or Rankings to show relative strengths
    • Emphasis on true false comparison of two set of data
    • Offbeat questions of other categories
    • Summary Point
    • Biography box to stress personal accomplishment
• Tables for data comparison with graphical highlight

For more details, please refer to the book Interactivity or System Development Instant Reference. It is available in ebook or print format in English, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese.