Designing Information - Human Factors and Common Sense in Information Design
By Joel Katz
Aspects of Information Design
Pragmatic design is where the user understands
People only understand something relative to something they already understand (metaphor is power)
Qualitative Issues
By understanding how things work, you can start to think about improving them. By understanding why things don’t work, you can figure out how to design them so that they do.
A container of space (boundary, edge definition, etc.)
A connection or pointer (from object to object/label)
Linear element describing something with width whose function is one-dimensional
Differences in shape differentiate kind. Differences in color/size differentiate degree
With a neutral background, light paths = possibility of movement, dark shapes = static masses. The two things most unlike each other should be represented visually as such. This is both a pragmatic and rational consideration.
Differentiation in value in things aids our intuitive perception of what is represented
Research suggests we are capable of clearly distinguishing among (and remembering) 5-7 colors
Generation Labeling - If you don’t have room for 1stGen labeling, you may be trying to fit in too much info
1stGen – labels the object on or at the object
2ndGen – connects the object to its label, which may be distant.
3rdGen – labeling uses codes (alphanumeric or symbolic) requiring the user to repeatedly look, remember, and search
Quantitative Issues
Quantitative Comparisons depend on:
Disparity in quantities compared
# of dimensions in graphic being used for comparison
Charting with Lines notes
Bar charts can sometimes benefit from non-zero Base Lines
Break Lines are preferred to Base Lines as an acknowledgement of missing info is assumed
Snake Lines can be useful in presenting a greater value in charting without extending the real estate of the information graphic or taking the presentation into another dimension
Let the data determine the form, not the other way around
Structure, Organization, Type
Grids provide an armature for the structure and organization of information
Rectangular Grids
Skeletal – fixed structure with uniformly spaced sections
Interval – permits sections of any measurement but maintains space separations (few fixed horizontal hanglines)
Flush-Right table of contents are preferred as sectional information is interwoven to its location info
When integrating instructions and a grid of choices, it is helpful to break the process into simple, discrete, sequential steps
Pictograms (icons) are most effective when communicating across language, literacy, and cultural differences
Sans serif fonts are considered appropriate in larger sizes where serif fonts are preferred for large quantities of text (serif fonts are more legible)
Finding Your Way
Map vs. Diagram – Both communicate and explain something
Map – show where things are
Diagram – show how things work
Simplicity, clarity of use, and a memorable image are more important than geographic accuracy
Gradation is a powerful visual application that can describe a transition or type change of a path
LATCH – the 5 finite ways of organizing information