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MU120 Semester 2 wk 2 Pedalabikeaway, Forest of Dean http://www.zen95975.zen.co.uk/index.html Map in \sem2wk1\ 1

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2 MU120 Information Design What is Information Design? Cognitive theory Environmental Graphic Design Wayfinding by signs and symbols Directions Maps Context and meaning Audio instructions Colour Related to Gloucester Renaissance Adventure

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3 What is Information Design? Information Designs roots are in publishing and graphic design Information Design addresses the organization and presentation of data the transformation of data into valuable, meaningful information Can be evaluated by measuring Effectiveness whether a user can retrieve the information Efficiency how quickly they can retrieve User Satisfaction whether this is an enjoyable experience Similar to measuring Usability of ICT applications

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4 Ways of organising information Alphabetically Numerically Time Location Categorisation Importance (hierarchy) Locate Uni departments on a map OK for Latin alphabet, but other character sets? Buildings have floors Reports often have numbered sections Transport arrivals/departures Campus, building, room Chapters in a book Teaching centre, Learning Centre, Labs Portraits, landscapes, jewellery Organisational chart

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5 Transformation of data Right brain thinking sees a cat Cognitive processing Left brain names and classifies in order to structure Right brain experiences, sensations, images Or vice versa CAT Left brain thinking names a cat

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6 Case study Vietnam Memorial Problem: 58,000 casualties names From the visitors perspective 1 name maybe Other perspectives? Panorama, vista and prospect give freedom of choice An overview + opportunity to choose or drill down to the detail

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7 Solution - Chronological order + index with Surname, First name, Rank, Service, DoB, DoD, City, State, panel, line no.

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8 Depends on the message Cenotaph, London Empty tomb/tomb of the unknown soldier The Other Vietnam Memorial (1991) Chris Burden 3M Vietnamese dead

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9 Information Design changes Display trends Key to know the purpose required

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10 Gloucester Renaissance Adventure How will your user (a child aged 4-11) Know how to enter the Adventure? Know whats in the Adventure? WIFM principle! Find their way around? Know whether they have experienced it all? Collected all the rewards The purpose is Wayfinding Aka navigation

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11 Environmental Graphic Design Signage and wayfinding, Orients people to a site and helps them navigate it Interpretation which tells a story about a site Placemaking creates a distinctive image for a site Signage InterpretationPlacemaking NB: a site may be a physical place or a web- site

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12 Signage and Wayfinding Signage Helps people find their way +ve direction arrow -ve no right turn Wayfinding May involve visual clues Eg: entrance + colour coding Landmarks Human guides GPS systems Milton Keynes Bill Bryson(1995) Notes from a small Island. London: Black Swan. Signage Wayfinding

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13 Milton Keynes how could he miss?

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14 How IDUs designers could help Commercial design company 6 aspects Includes Accessibility

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15 Standard Signage British Standard signs Eg: used within NHS See Notes page for this slide

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16 Standard direction arrows Which arrow would you use? Be consistent

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17 2D Maps - routes Scaled representation Ordnance Survey Street maps Diagrammatic Harry Becks London Tube map Easier to remember but can mean wasted time in central London

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18 Location Maps 2D or 3D keep the same orientation http://www.masson-seeley.co.uk/index.html http://www.masson-seeley.co.uk/index.html Design Museum source http://www.designmuseum.org/design/jock-kinneir-margaret-calvert http://www.designmuseum.org/design/jock-kinneir-margaret-calvert

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19 3D representations Particularly problematic for different entry points

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20 Design of Audio Instructions Psychologists suggest audio instructions should be

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21 Signage for action Photocopier symbols Vaguely recognised? Understood? Icons for navigation Make sure that user knows what is possible Might be different for a game Signage design co. http://www.signdesignassoc.com/site.shtml design from hell :( http://www.signdesignassoc.com/site.shtml InsideInformation (good use of Flash website and how to photograph iconic buildings) http://www.ininfo.co.uk/index.html http://www.ininfo.co.uk/index.html Find 30 St Mary Axe aka The Gherkin GRS Sign Co Ltd (more prosaic) http://www.grssigns.co.uk/signs/wayfinding.php http://www.grssigns.co.uk/signs/wayfinding.php

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22 Wayfinding by colour coding Link with other design aspects such as architectural features

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23 Cultural colour Beijing 2008 Olympics http://en.beijing2008.cn/57/71/article211987157.shtml http://en.beijing2008.cn/57/71/article211987157.shtml A Chinese Seal (meaning?) Seal using sealing wax on a letter Toilet sign parody was insulting

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24 Language translations? Chinglish Tonal languages offer pitfalls for Europeans

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25 Gloucester Renaissance Adventure An interactive multimedia adventure Allows exploration ie: a slide show will not do! Interaction is navigation between spaces Change what is viewed depending on what the user does Wk 3 and 4 will look at structuring movies to be more efficient and developing 3D spaces Adventure? Unexpected events

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Practical Use worksheet to revisit 07-08 Gloucestershire 1000 Exploratory wrt wayfinding Alex Hopgood Toby Wort Cameron Skinner Leroy Shirto 26

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27 Any Questions