Information design
Key question
How do you make text and numbers readable?
Information design largely consists of text: titles, labels, legends, tables, and explanations. They determine whether a graphic is understood.
Learning objective: You are able to format labels and tables clearly and write texts that are easy to understand.
Text is part of the graphic.
6.1 / Labelling
Label directly instead of making them search.
Labels should be placed as close to the data as possible. A legend forces the eye to jump back and forth between the chart and the explanation, putting a strain on working memory.
Good labels are brief, unambiguous, and specify units. Hierarchy is created through font size and weight, as described in Design Psychology, Section 4.3.
Label where the gaze is directed.
6.2 / Tables
A good spreadsheet lets the numbers do the talking.
Tables are often the best format for looking up precise values. A few simple rules make them significantly easier to read:
01
Right-align numbers
So that one may stand among others.
02
Tabular figures
Equal-width figures make columns comparable.
03
Few lines
Horizontal lines are usually sufficient.
04
Highlight
Emphasise the most important value, not all of them.
Fewer lines and clear alignment are often more effective than colours and borders.
Numbers are right-aligned.
6.3 / Clear and plain language
Writing clearly is design.
Short sentences, familiar words, and active phrasing make information accessible. Technical terms are explained or avoided. Numbers are rounded where precision is not needed.
Easy Language and Plain Language are approaches to making texts understandable for people with reading or learning difficulties. Many others also benefit from this.
Short, specific, active.
Exercise
Redesign a table
Task: Redesign an existing table, such as a timetable or a price list.
STEP 1
Collect a table from your everyday life.
STEP 2
Note down what question people want to answer with this table.
STEP 3
Apply the table rules and cross out anything unnecessary.
STEP 4
Use a search task to test how quickly users can find the value they are looking for.
Evaluation: Which rule had the greatest impact?