High Fidelity

As everyday tasks grow more confusing, and as social and global problems grow more complex, the information designer's role in bringing clarity has reached a new level of importance. In order to have a positive impact, they must go beyond conventional approaches to uncover real needs, make insightful connections, and develop effective solutions. Information Design Unbound provides a clear, engaging introduction to the field, and prepares students to be strategic thinkers and visual problem solvers who can confidently make sense in a changing world. Sheila Pontis and Michael Babwahsingh present a holistic view of information design, synthesizing decades of research, cross-disciplinary knowledge, and emerging practices. The book opens by laying a foundation in the field, first painting the bigger picture of what it is and how it originated, before explaining the scientific and cultural dimensions of how people perceive and understand visual information. A discussion of professional practices, ethical considerations, and the expanding scale of challenges sheds light on the day-to-day work of information designers today. Detailed chapters then delve into the four areas that are integral to all types of information design work: visual thinking, research, sensemaking, and design. The final section of the book puts everything together, with detailed project walk-throughs in areas such as icon design, instructions, wayfinding, organizational strategy, and healthcare system change. Written and designed with students' needs in mind, this book brings information design fundamentals to life: exercises allow students to put lessons directly into practice, case studies demonstrate how information designers think and work, and generous illustrations clarify concepts in a visually engaging way. Information Design Unbound helps beginning designers build the mindset and skillset to navigate visual communication challenges wherever they may arise. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction Context 1. Understanding information design 1.1 Finding our way every day 1.2 Building a working definition 1.3 Mapping out the landscape 1.4 Seeing the bigger picture 1.5 What is effective information design? 1.6 Tracing the historical roots 1.7 Information design comes of age Exercises 2. How information designers work 2.1 What makes an information designer? 2.2 A collaborative, cross-disciplinary practice 2.3 Ethics and professional conduct 2.4 Working with the information design process 2.5 The scale of information design challenges Exercises 3. How we process visual information 3.1 The visual information processing system 3.2 Vision 3.3 Perception 3.4 Learning and retrieval 3.5 Thinking and problem-solving Exercises 4. How we create meaning 4.1 Understanding culture 4.2 Signs, the basic units of meaning 4.3 Rhetoric and communication 4.4 Society, identity, and representation Exercises Skills 5. Thinking and working visually 5.1 Giving shape to thought 5.2 Assembling your visual toolkit 5.3 Learning to sketch 5.4 Using diagrams to think 5.5 Making use of space and form Exercises 6. Learning through research 6.1 A structured search for knowledge 6.2 Understanding the subject matter 6.3 Understanding the audience 6.4 Planning out your research 6.5 Collecting data Exercises 7. Sensemaking for communication 7.1 Planning before designing 7.2 Constructing knowledge 7.3 Organizing information Exercises 8. Designing with clarity 8.1 Focusing on effectiveness 8.2 Content 8.3 Structure 8.4 Presentation 8.5 Engagement 8.6 Performance Exercises Practice 9. Communications 9.1 Working with communications 9.2 Project Re:form 9.3 GAIA Amazonas icon system 9.4 Emergency ventilator instructions 9.5 We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa 10. Experiences 10.1 Working with experiences 10.2 Nemus Futurum interactive visitor experience 10.3 SEPTA wayfinding master plan 10.4 Skicircus wayfinding system 10.5 Seat at the Table interactive exhibit 11. Organizations 11.1 Working with organizations 11.2 OMSI vision and strategy 11.3 Integrated journey maps 12. Systems 12.1 Working with systems 12.2 Understanding elderly isolation in Pittsburgh 12.3 Systems approach to youth employment in Bhutan 12.4 Navigating the complexity of cancer diagnosis Bibliography Index Acknowledgments Image credits "As everyday tasks grow more confusing, and as social and global problems grow more complex, the information designer's role in bringing clarity has reached a new level of importance. In order to have a positive impact, they must go beyond conventional approaches to uncover real needs, make insightful connections, and develop effective solutions. Information Design Unbound provides a clear, engaging introduction to the field, and prepares students to be strategic thinkers and visual problem solvers who can confidently make sense in a changing world. Sheila Pontis and Michael Babwahsingh present a holistic view of information design, synthesizing decades of research, cross-disciplinary knowledge, and emerging practices. The book opens by laying a foundation in the field, first painting the bigger picture of what it is and how it originated, before explaining the scientific and cultural dimensions of how people perceive and understand visual information. Transitioning from context to practice, a discussion of the various roles information designers play and how they work sets the stage for the information design process. Chapters then delve into each step of the process, from problem definition to design and evaluation. The final section of the book puts everything together, with detailed project walk-throughs in areas such as icon design, visual explanations, wayfinding, websites and apps. Written and designed with students' needs in mind, this book brings information design fundamentals to life: exercises allow students to put lessons directly into practice, case studies demonstrate how information designers think and work, and generous illustrations clarify concepts in a visually engaging way. Information Design Unbound helps beginning designers build the mindset and skillset to navigate visual communication challenges wherever they may arise"-- Provided by publisher