Information design

Information design is the practice of presenting information in a way that fosters an efficient and effective
understanding of the information. The term has come to be used for a specific area of graphic design related
to displaying information effectively, rather than just attractively or for artistic expression. Information
design is closely related to the field of data visualization and is often taught as part of graphic design
courses.[1] The broad applications of information design along with its close connections to other fields of
design and communication practices have created some overlap in the definitions of communication design,
data visualization, and information architecture.

According to Per Mollerup, information design is explanation design. It explains facts of the universe and
leads to knowledge and informed action.[2]

History
The term 'information design' emerged as a multidisciplinary area of study in the 1970s. Use of the term is
said to have started with graphic designers and it was solidified with the publication of the Information
Design Journal in 1979. Later, the related International Institute for Information Design (IIID) was set up in
1987 and Information Design Association (IDA) established in 1991.[3] In 1982, Edward Tufte produced a
book on information design called The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. The term information
graphics tends to be used by those primarily concerned with diagramming and display of quantitative
information, such as technical communicators and graphic designers.

In technical communication, information design refers to creating an information structure for a set of
information aimed at specified audiences. It can be practised on different scales.

On a large scale, it implies choosing relevant content and dividing it into separate manuals
by audience and purpose.
On a medium scale, it means organizing the content in each manual and making sure that
overviews, concepts, examples, references, and definitions are included and that topics
follow an organizing principle.
On a small or detailed scale, it includes logical development of topics, emphasis on what's
important, clear writing, navigational clues, and even page design, choice of font, and use of
white space.

There are many similarities between information design and information architecture. The title of
information designer is sometimes used by graphic designers who specialize in creating websites. The
skillset of the information designer, as the title is applied more globally, is closer to that of the information
architect in the U.S. Similar skills for organization and structure are brought to bear in designing web sites
and digital media, with additional constraints and functions that earn a designer the title information
architect.
In computer science and information technology, 'information design' is sometimes a rough synonym for
(but is not necessarily the same discipline as) information architecture, the design of information systems,
databases, or data structures. This sense includes data modeling and process analysis.

Early examples
Information design is associated with the age
of technology but it does have historical roots.
Early instances of modern information design
include these effective examples:

William Playfair's line, bar, pie, and

area charts illustrating England's trade
(1786 and 1801)[4][5]
John Snow's spot maps, which
pinpointed the source of a deadly Charles Joseph Minard's 1861 diagram of Napoleon's March
cholera outbreak in 1850s London [6] - an early example of an information graphic.

Charles Joseph Minard's 1861

diagram depicting Napoleon's
Russian campaign of 1812[7]
W.E.B. Du Bois's data visualization on the lives of Black Americans for the 1900 World's
Fair[8]
Otto Neurath's International Picture Language of the 1930s[9]
Florence Nightingale's information graphic depicting army mortality rates[10]

The Minard diagram shows the losses suffered by Napoleon's army in the 1812-1813 period. Six variables
are plotted: the size of the army, its location on a two-dimensional surface (x and y), time, direction of
movement, and temperature. This multivariate display on a two-dimensional surface tells a story that can be
grasped immediately while identifying the source data to build credibility. Edward Tufte wrote in 1983 that:
"It may well be the best statistical graphic ever drawn."[5]

Applications
Information design can be used for broad audiences (such as signs
in airports) or specific audiences (such as personalized telephone
bills).[11] The resulting work often seeks to improve a user's trust of
a product (such as medicine packaging inserts, operational
instructions for industrial machinery and information for A visual definition of Disability
emergencies). The example of signs also highlights a niche Adjusted Life Year
category known as wayfinding.

Governments and regulatory authorities have legislated about a number of information design issues, such
as the minimum size of type in financial small print, the labelling of ingredients in processed food, and the
testing of medicine labelling. Examples of this are the Truth in Lending Act in the USA, which introduced
the Schumer box (a concise summary of charges for people applying for a credit card), and the Guideline
on the Readability of the Labelling and Package Leaflet of Medicinal Products for Human Use (European
Commission, Revision 1, 12 January 2009).
Professor Edward Tufte explained that users of
information displays are executing particular
analytical tasks such as making comparisons
or determining causality. The design principle
of the information graphic should support the
analytical task, showing the comparison or
causality.[12]

Simplicity Visualization of the frequency of outbound trains from

Bangalore, India. Based on the work of Étienne-Jules
Simplicity is a major concern in information Marey
design. The aim is clarity and understanding.
Simplification of messages may imply
quantitative reduction but is not restricted to that. Sometimes more information means more clarity. Also,
simplicity is a highly subjective matter and should always be evaluated with the information user in mind.
Simplicity can be easy when following five simple steps when it comes to information design:

1. Tell the truth,

2. Get to the point,
3. Pick the right tool for the job,
4. Highlight what is important,
5. Of course, keep it simple.

These steps will help an information designer narrow down results, as well as keeping their audience
engaged.[13]

See also
Cartography
Chief experience officer (CXO)
Content management
Epidemiology
Knowledge visualization
Plain language
Signage
Statistics
Technical communication
Technical illustration
Typography
Visual literacy
Wayfinding
Web indexing

References
1. "Graphic Design | Graphic Design Degree | BA & MA Degree Programs | CCSU" (http://ww
w.design.ccsu.edu/).
 2. Per Mollerup, Data Design: Visualising quantities, locations, connections, Bloomsbury
Academic, 2015
3. "The Origins of the Information Design Association" (https://web.archive.org/web/201603032
14532/http://www.robwaller.org/IDA_origins_RW.pdf) (PDF). University of Reading. 2008.
Archived from the original (http://www.robwaller.org/IDA_origins_RW.pdf) (PDF) on 2016-03-
03. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
4. "First Ever Area Charts Created 200+ Years Ago" (http://www.anychart.com/blog/2015/12/23/
first-area-charts-history/). AnyChart. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
5. Tufte, Edward (1983). The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (https://archive.org/deta
ils/visualdisplayofq0000tuft). Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press. ISBN 0961392142.
6. Crosier, Scott. "John Snow: The London Cholera Epidemic of 1854" (https://web.archive.org/
web/20171211015738/http://webprojects.oit.ncsu.edu/project/bio183de/Black/science/scien
ce_reading/8.html). University of California, Santa Barbara. Archived from the original (http://
webprojects.oit.ncsu.edu/project/bio183de/Black/science/science_reading/8.html) on 2017-
12-11. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
7. Corbett, John. "Charles Joseph Minard: Mapping Napoleon's March, 1861" (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20170312205811/http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/58/). Center for Spatially
Integrated Social Science. Archived from the original (http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/5
8) on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
8. Mansky, Jackie (15 November 2018). "W.E.B. Du Bois' Visionary Infographics Come
Together for the First Time in Full Color" (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/first-time-t
ogether-and-color-book-displays-web-du-bois-visionary-infographics-180970826/).
Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
9. Popova, Maria (8 March 2011). "The Invention of ISOTYPE: How a Vintage Visual
Language Paved the Way for the Infographics Age" (https://www.brainpickings.org/2011/03/0
8/the-transformer-isotype/). Brain Pickings. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
10. Small, Hugh. "Florence Nightingale's statistical diagrams" (http://www.florence-nightingale-a
venging-angel.co.uk/GraphicsPaper/Graphics.htm).
11. "Information Design FAQ" (http://www.bogieland.com/infodesign_faq.htm). Retrieved
9 January 2013.
12. Edward Tufte-Presentation-August 2013 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Y4SxgfGCg)
13. Duarte, Nancy. Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations. Beijing:
O'Reilly Media, 2008. Print.

External links
InformationDesign.org (http://www.informationdesign.org/)
International Institute for Information Design (http://www.iiid.net/)
Communication Research Institute: Defining information design (https://communication.org.a
u/defining-information-design/)
Information Design Journal (https://www.benjamins.com/cgi-bin/t_seriesview.cgi?series=ID
J) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20060216191350/http://www.benjamins.com/cgi-bi
n/t_seriesview.cgi?series=IDJ) 2006-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
UK Information Design Association (http://www.infodesign.org.uk/)
Society for Technical Communication Information Design – Information Architecture (ID–IA)
Special Interest Group (SIG) (https://web.archive.org/web/20070928212711/http://stc-on.org/i
d/)
Visualizing Information for Advocacy: An Introduction to Information Design (http://backspac
e.com/notes/2008/02/an-introduction-to-information-design.php) Booklet on information
 design for non-profit and non-governmental organizations.
McCandless, David (2010). "The beauty of data visualization" (http://www.ted.com/talks/davi
d_mccandless_the_beauty_of_data_visualization.html).
https://ahmedabadwebsitedesign.com

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