What is information design?
Information design means presenting information so that people can find it, understand it and use it. It is not decoration. A pretty sign that nobody understands has failed.
It works through order (what comes first), clarity (simple words and shapes), and fit (right for the reader).
Its role in society
- Safety: warning signs, fire exits, medicine labels.
- Travel: maps, timetables, road signs, airport boards.
- Learning: charts, diagrams, textbook layouts.
- Health and public services: forms, queue tokens, vaccination cards.
- Business: dashboards, price lists, app screens.
Good design saves time, avoids mistakes and makes services fair for everyone. Bad design causes confusion and even accidents.
Targets of information design
The target is the person or group the design is made for. Ask:
- Who? A child, an elder, a tourist, an expert.
- What do they already know? Use their words.
- Where and how will they see it? A phone, a wall sign far away, a quick glance while walking.
- Why? To inform, to guide, to warn, or to persuade.
Designing for everyone
Universal design tries to work for the widest range of people. Use big text, strong contrast, simple words and pictures. Never use colour alone, because some people cannot tell red from green. Add a shape or a word as well. Offer more than one way: sign plus sound, text plus picture.
Key formulas and definitions
- Ask WWW: Who, What, Where
- Good design = order + clarity + fit for the reader
- Do not rely on colour alone: add shape or words
- Less is more: keep only what the target needs
Worked examples
1. A bus stop board shows 20 items in the same font. How would you improve it for a person in a hurry?
Keep only the next buses, show the bus number very large, group by direction and use one highlight colour.
2. A school notice uses red text for "closed" and green text for "open". Why can this fail?
Some people cannot tell red from green. Add words or icons, such as a lock symbol, so colour is not the only clue.
3. Who is the target of a road sign, and what does that mean for text size?
Drivers moving fast and far away. The sign needs very large letters and very few words.
Common mistakes
- Thinking design means decoration only.
- Putting everything on the sign because "all facts are important".
- Designing for yourself instead of for the reader.
- Using colour as the only difference between two things.