Posts Tagged ‘information design’

too much information?

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

This is my favourite road sign.  I like it because it treats me as a sentient human being rather than a mindless drone incapable of independent thought.  It encourages me to consider the possible hazards of my situation and trusts that having so reflected, I will make good decisions.  Were I not barrelling along at 70mph it would also inspire me to muse further on the meaning of life, the universe and everything…

The rarity of such ‘thoughtful’ road signs makes me wonder why few communications assume an intelligent audience.  Too much ‘telling’ surely eventually breeds disinterest.  On the roads we all see plenty of poorly regulated over-signing: badly placed, ugly ‘street furniture’ laden with overly instructive signs, sometimes there (it would seem) as much to prevent the local council from being sued as to actually help the public.  Credible research now shows that careful removal of oversignage increases road safety.  De-signing can be good designing.  As in most areas of communication design, consideration of the user and limiting the number of messages to be processed increases the likehood of effectiveness.  More thoughtful communications crediting users with some intelligence would be no bad thing.

(more…)

we want… information

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

I put up a shed last weekend (yes, the designer lifestyle is that glamorous):  two days of stressful toil lengthened in no small part by the appalling quality of the ‘instructions’ provided: 14 pages of verbal and visual redundancy, irrelevance and confusion.  Well what did I expect for £99?

Most products arrive with scant, inaccurate or misleading information for assembly and use.  Many well-designed consumer products neglect information as part of the product experience, leading to returns, safety issues, customer dissatisfaction and erosion of brand loyalty.   This seems overwhelmingly the norm and we are accustomed to sucking up all the wasted time, the frustration and stress, and moving on with our lives.  Why are ‘instructions’ such a design-free zone? (more…)

simple

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

apple

An explosion of communication and choice in recent decades has created the global climate of information overload that we are only now beginning to find ways to properly navigate.  The rise of the iPhone app and the price comparison website shows the information economy at work and there is growing recognition of the value of designing access to information.  But what took us so long?

In our personal areas of interest choice can seem miraculous: I can get my favourite version of my favourite song in less than 60 seconds; we can have customised trainers designed in-store; you can get your flat white-half-caff-soy-frappe-latte-cino just the way you like it in a coffee shop anywhere in the world (a distant time it was when coffee was purchased in only one of two states: black or white).  But in general, relentless second-by-second decision-making is required to navigate a deep sea of visual noise. Negotiating our choices can lead to unprecedented fatigue, confusion, stress – and disinterest.  As expectations rise, consumers are increasingly losing their patience. How do we solve this problem?

(more…)