ABSTRACT
The information design community actively writes and theorizes about various aspects of the field (e.g. methods, tools, skills, processes), and case studies abound, but there is a lack of clarity regarding what information design is or what its boundaries are, and an agreed definition of the field is still elusive1. Perhaps this is the result of the diversity of disciplines that inform the field, including graphic design, journalism, interface and user experience design, cognitive science, behavioural and applied psychology, and information science, among others2. This cross-disciplinary and multi-faceted nature of information design makes it challenging to arrive at a concise definition that accurately captures its breadth and depth3. On the other hand, the influence of these disciplines has helped to better equip information designers with a rich toolkit of skills. Terry Irwin4 summarizes information designers as:
This book broadly defines information design as the field concerned with facilitating understanding in order to help people achieve their goals by translating raw or disorganized data into forms that can be rapidly perceived, understood, processed, and used. Information design work of any kind seeks to enhance understanding-of a situation, concept, space, place, time, quantity, phenomenon-for an intended audience5. Information designers aim to design clear communication on any medium from paper to digital devices and public information displays6. Regardless of context or project type, their goal is to maximize benefit and value for the client and end-user.
