Information design
Key question
How do you make information explorable?
Digital media makes it possible to make information interactive: filtering, zooming in, comparing, storytelling. This opens up opportunities, but can also be overwhelming.
Learning objective: You will be able to classify interactive formats, plan dashboards and narrative graphics, and deliver an information design project in a structured manner.
Interaction should answer questions, not be a gimmick.
8.1 / Overview first
First the whole, then the detail.
In 1996, Ben Shneiderman formulated a well-known principle for interactive visualisations: 'Overview first, zoom and filter, then details on demand.'
01
Overview
First, show the whole picture.
02
Zoom and Filter
Then narrow down what you are interested in.
03
Details on request
Details only when required.
Dashboards often follow this principle: they show the status at a glance and allow you to delve deeper if needed. More on cognitive load in Design Psychology, Section 5.1.
First the whole, then the detail.
8.2 / Storytelling with Data
Data is made understandable through a story.
Scrollytelling combines text and graphics: as you scroll, the visualisation changes step-by-step, guiding you through a story. Many media outlets use this for complex topics.
A data story needs a clear sequence: starting point, development, insight. Storytelling means choosing, and therefore taking responsibility for what is shown and what is not.
To narrate is to select.
8.3 / Planning projects
A good brief saves many drafts.
Every information design project begins with a clear brief: who is it for, in what situation, with what key message, on the basis of what data, and in which format?
In the end, there is always a test with people from the target audience: Do they understand the message, do they find what they are looking for? Methods for this in Design Psychology, Section 8.4.
Without a key message, there is no information design.
Exercise
An interactive concept
Task: Plan an interactive graphic or a small dashboard.
STEP 1
Choose a dataset and formulate three questions that users want to answer with it.
STEP 2
Specify what is shown in the overview and what only appears on demand.
STEP 3
Sketch the views as a paper prototype.
STEP 4
Test with two people to see if they can answer their questions.
Evaluation: Which interactions were actually used, and which were not?
Final project
An information design project
Individually or in pairs, you will create an information design for a real-world problem, such as an infographic, a wayfinding system for a venue, a table, or a compact dashboard.
STEP 1
Briefing
Target audience, situation, key message, data and format.
STEP 2
Structure
Organisational principle and hierarchy of content.
STEP 3
Draft
At least two options and a reasoned selection.
STEP 4
Test
Comprehension test with at least three people.
STEP 5
Presentation
Final version, sources, and reflection in ten minutes.
Evaluation criteria: clarity of the core message, appropriateness of presentation, honesty and references, readability and accessibility, quality of the test and reflection.
Clarity is the measure of all things.