Information design

Various people have come up with definitions of information design, but I’m never completely happy with them.

They sometimes mention helping people to understand information, but quite often information can be designed for use without understanding in the sense of a conscious cognitive act.

They sometimes refer to complex information, but simple information also needs to be designed.

So when I was asked to come up with a definition to introduce the IIID Awards,¹ I just described how information designers help people:

When we travel, information designers help us find the way. When we buy things, they help us to make informed choices. When we pay tax or claim benefits, they explain our rights and responsibilities and make the process run smoothly. They reveal what data means, they help us find information quickly, and they explain how complex systems work.

Information designers help us understand health and healthcare systems. When the pandemic came, they helped experts to explain it and they showed us how to keep each other safe.

Information design isn’t about beautifying data, or showing off your creativity or convincing people you’re right. It’s a service.

And importantly, it’s not just about what things look like. It’s about language too, and about relationships between writers, a text, and readers. You can substitute different terms here: users, documents, content, and so forth.

But essentially information design is about your choice of what to say and how to say it, and it’s about anticipating and understanding its effect.

1. IIID is the International Institute for Information Design: iiid.net