Information Design in UX Discipline
Effective infographics are not just a graphical presentation of data and knowledge, and it is a separate design branch aimed at illustrating information, taking into account various aspects and criteria of human perception of information, to ensure effective communication with the target audience.
Information design is a branch of design, the practice of artistic and technical design and presentation of various information, taking into account ergonomics, functionality, psychological criteria for human perception of information, aesthetics of visual forms of information presentation, and some other factors. In information design, traditional and new design principles are applied to transforming complex and unstructured data into valuable, meaningful information. Images, symbols, colors, and words convey ideas, illustrate data, or visualize relationships.
Information design is the deconstruction, presentation, decoding, or expression of the information under an orderly information structure. It is the process of information reorganization. Use graphic elements such as type, color, graphics, image, time, brightness, material, and raw materials to fully mobilize and grasp people's senses to express their content clearly. In this way, reminders, explanations, and writing can be achieved, and information expression can be more fluent.
Why information design needed?
In a world without information design, if you want to take a bus or train, how do you know the number of trains? Where is the platform? How do I know the time of departure or arrival? If there are no traffic lights, how should the driver respond to the situation at the intersection? The emergence of some warning signs and color codes allows users to locate and use the equipment safely. They can clearly indicate what you need and what you can't do. We can operate according to the prompts, even if you are not familiar with the equipment or the surrounding environment.
An Example of Every Day Information Design.
It is generally accepted in our country that information design is exotic and has nothing to do with everyday life. In fact, the exact opposite is true: information design has a huge impact on the lives of millions of people every day. Metro navigation, road signs, signs, public transport timetables and routes, price tags in stores, bank card statements - these are all typical examples of information design.
Information designers are experts at designing for people. This means preparing information in an understandable, appealing, and cross-media manner. We conceive, design and develop positive experiences from information - information experience. A variety of electives supplements the basics in science, design, and development. The theory is applied in your own projects and in the integrated practical semester because you learn best through practice-oriented work.
Information designers are all-around talents - from the main course onwards, it is possible to set certain priorities through elective subjects, such as user experience design, usability engineering, web development, or other topics offered.
Multiple uses of infographics
But what exactly can infographics and visualizations do, and for what purpose are they created? As early as the 19th century, various scientists promoted the practice of graphical representation and emphasized that infographics help to "understand things at a glance" - relationships that the reader could only grasp very slowly and with difficulty through text. The basic consensus today is that we can read and interpret statistics much faster when they are visualized.
At the same time, many more pitfalls and sources of error are known today - our view of the potential of infographics has become much more differentiated overall. Theorists of information visualization are concerned not only with the correctness of visualizations (i.e., whether facts and numerical relationships have been factually expressed correctly by the chosen method) but also with perceptual processes among the readers or the question of what prerequisites they have to meet to understand infographics ( for example under the keyword "data literacy").
Infographics are a great way to tell a visual story
Infographics call themselves that way because marketers use them as a way of linking. They no longer focus on the story-first approach and determine the most appropriate content format to present data and information. Still, it has become a way to establish easy links.
The most important thing is the data and stories behind the infographics. Still, when you visually present them, the stories can be truly realized and seen vividly, rather than just sending a press release or linking to a blog post. A well-designed infographic is a powerful content marketing tool; however, make sure this is the correct format for storytelling.
Infographics can be shared
Infographics are not only easy to link but also easy to share. Whether it's social, between team members, or even blog posts and articles, they are a great way to share information with others. In fact, 80% of marketers use visual assets in their social media marketing, and tweets with images get 18% more reposts than tweets without images. Why not consider cutting your infographic into social-sized cards that can be shared on social networks? A great way to repurpose and promote further engagement of content.
Infographics are an excellent sales tool
Remember the statistics surrounding the human brain. Its visual effects are better than text effects? Suppose you are a SaaS brand and you are demonstrating what your platform can do. Why not visualized it as infographics? Infographics do not need to write processes, benefits, and comparability but can let potential buyers immediately understand why they should choose you in the competition.
Infographics are linkable
Infographics are overused because they have become a good way of linking, usually passive.
Infographics are easy to digest
Not everyone has time to read long-form content, nor is it what they always want. However, there is absolutely no reason not to use infographics to supplement other content. A good example is my recently published guide "How to Create Perfectly Optimized Content: 16 Basic Elements". It has thousands of words and is quite in-depth, but the summary of the guide is an easy-to-understand infographic.
Because it can not only visualize the suggestions made in the text but also make the reader intuitively refer to it, the infographic provides context for the content and makes it easier to understand and implement.
The relationships between Information Design and UX.
Information designers are experts at designing for people. That means making information understandable, appealing, and cross-media. We conceive, design and develop positive experiences from information - information experience. Information designers are all-around talents - from the main course onwards, it is possible to set certain priorities through elective subjects, such as user experience design, usability engineering, web development, or other topics offered. That's why for good UX design, information design is very important.
