Information Design

Information design is designing communication to inform, to make information easier to understand and making complex information clear and simpler. Overall creating an efficient yet effective and enjoyable information. It is a non traditional approach; it’s not just pie charts and bar charts; it is integrating images and visual design to what starts off as heaps of text or statistical information

You find information design everywhere; some of which you may not realise but there has been such thought process and development before being published. Some include: Maps, Broachers, menus, Recipes, packaging, bus stop timetables, instruction manuals etc.

When creating and evaluating design/graphic communication there are several factors you must consider and assess to assure the success of the imagery. Without evaluating and assuring these key elements have been taken into consideration, everything would just be a huge jumble and frustrate the viewers: the last thing any designer would want.  These key aspects are:
Grouping information:  assuring that the lines, spacing, columns are clear and define each section of the layout. This creates a clearly formatted and breathable piece for viewer to indulge.

Consistency: creating a formal/informal language appropriation to the layout or typography. Ultimately decided upon depending on the audience, tone of voice and message you are trying to get across.  

Typography:  Ultimately the type must be legible for the audience, putting inplace headings and sub headings if needed. The type chosen must also be appropriate for the audience, topic or message it trying to convey, enhancing and defining the message.

Grid Structures: Although pushing the boundaries and thinking one step ahead is what we are taught to do; the information and graphics much be clear, consistent and navigate from one place to the other. There are several aspects we must think about to assure cleanliness of the design for example; margins, gutters, columns, relevancy of imagery.

Graphic elements: Whether it be adding bullet points, icons, pictograms, illustrations, shapes, lines etc they all enhance the visual pleasure and consistency of the page. As people say, one picture can paint a thousand words.

Spacing: Different ranges of spacing create different tones of voice to a piece of design. Whether it is all tightly packed together, have lots of white space or positive and negative spacing etc. You must also take into consideration legibility of spacing for type, because if it is tightly packed together in a small, times new roman font, are people really going to bother reading it?

Visual Hierarchy: Creating a visual hierarchy will lead then viewer around the canvas, adding structure to the page. There are several ways to create a hierarchy within a piece of design: type, size, weight, colour, spacing, lines etc. A good example to give is hierarchy of comics!

A few information designers I’ve found to be truly inspirational and really give that additional knowledge and understanding to the graphics are:

Neville Brody: it is clear to say that Neville is one of the more experimental information typographers, breaking boundaries and challenging the type, layout and structure. A style which can be used on posters, t-shirts or magazines rather than on a piece of packaging etc.                                            

Otto Neurath: has created a series of isotypes and was one of the first to start the notion of information design in a visual way. We can see the simplicity in his ideas yet they all created a defined statement!

                                              
Richard Saul Wurman: has given us 5 ways of categorising helping us to understand the notion of organisation within a piece of information and graphics: LATCH: L-Location, A-Alphabetical, T-Time, C-Category, H-Hierarchy. A short film he has created which talks about each of these in more depth!

What the font?

When designing there are different roots and disciplines in which we as designers use to communicate graphically. The three key disciplines in which a designer can choose to use are: Design to Invite, Design for information and Expressive graphics. This can be done through a range of platforms;  adverting, virals, branding, typography, motion graphics, corporate publishing etc.

Designing for invitation: This aims to invite and engage people into the product, service or brand; persuading them into the idea.  Simply communicating the offer to the audience.
Throughout all advertisements it is clear to say that they all use aspects, illustrations and graphics to draw you in and engage you into the product they are offering. From accountancy companies, fashion to food and electrical products all use this principle to persuade the audience.
An example of a company using its unique selling points (USP) of the product to persuade people to buy the products is the McCain chips: expressing their British potatoes, by using the products themselves to create a union jack. Another example is the marmite campaign has a series of delicate illustrations yet put across it love or hate it strap line/ideology. The brand also keeps you interacting with the product by having websites and facebook like or hate it pages.

 

Design for information: This is used to inform and educate the audience. Creating simple concepts for complex data/information; adding understanding.
One of the most iconic pieces of information design is the Underground tube map originally by Edward Johnston and adapted by Harry Beck. A simple creation informing people of which trains go where and all the stops they take. Simply using colour codes for different trains, dots for the stops, diamond shapes for interchange stops, stop names and the river Thames running through created a clear circuit like, informative design. This design is so clear and presented so well that it has been manipulated over a range of railways throughout the world.

Expressive graphics: This adds a graphical language of emotion, ethics and values. Expressing and debating for you, to help make an option over the concept.
A simple piece of advertising adds that emotion and movement to their design campaign as well as adding insight into the product is the apple iPod adverts. From the movement of the silhouette to the vibrant bursts of blocking colour.
An adaptation of the current iconic I Love NY logo by Milton Glazer expressed emotion and added real ethics to what happened. When the 911 attacks happened Milton simply adapted his current logo design, by burning the corner of the heart to show the terror which happened (corner because that is where the state of NY is on the map); but also with the additional text it boosted the morals of the country when it was posted up.