Design Matters

Information design is the detailed planning of specific information that is to be provided to a particular audience to meet specific objectives. This definition is expanded on the whatis.com site.

This site provides an extensive definition.

Information Design addresses the organization and presentation of data: its transformation into valuable, meaningful information. This definition is greatly expanded on Nathan Shedroff’s site.

Information design (ID) is the technology aimed at structuring information in artifacts so as to make it available and optimally useful (source: ID SIG website, 2003.

 Peter J. Bogaards offers a collection of definitions.

Information design is the defining, planning, and shaping of the contents of a message and the environments it is presented in with the intention of achieving particular objectives in relation to the needs of users (source: ID SIG website, 2003).

Information design is concerned with transforming data into information, making the complex easier to understand and to use. (more…)

(Information Design is) preparing communication products so that they achieve performance objectives established for them. This involves:

1. Analyzing communication problems
2. Establishing performance objectives that, when achieved, address these objectives
3. Developing a blueprint for a communication effort to address those objectives
4. Developing the components of the planned communication effort solution
5. Evaluating the ultimate effectiveness of the effort

Saul expands on this definition in his article on information design.

Writing in 2005, Donna said: “Information Design is not designing information the right way; it is finding the right way to design and deliver that information. Too often a print document is well laid out without any flaws (designed the right way), when it really should have been released on CD or the web for easier updating on a regular basis (the right design).”

Information Design transforms data into clear, meaningful, easily-accessed information. It originally derived its techniques from graphic design, cognitive psychology, human factors research, and industrial design; and continues to draw from these and any other field that provides insight into how humans assimilate and understand information and the media through which it is conveyed.

Erik notes: “I do not know the full history of this term, but I do know that I worked for a group that had ID in its title and in my job title a good 18 years ago (comment made in 2005). It usually takes a long time for a term like this to sneak into actual job titles, so it has obliviously been around awhile.”