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Ani
Phyo on Information Design
excerpt
from "Web ReDesign: Workflow that Works", by Kelly
Goto and Emily Cotler, New Riders Publishing 2001, pg 90
Thinking
like an information designer is not a unique process; we actually
do this everywhere. We all organize our CDs by category and\or
alphabet for ease of access based on how we look for our music.
We organize our closets by category (such as shirts/pants),
by season (summer/winter), or by size. This is information
design.
Think
of the information designer as an architect. An architect
works closely with a client to understand who will be using
the space, what they will be doing there, what the goals are,
how soon they will need to expand which areas of the space,
and so on.
Once the
scope of the space (website) is fully understood, the architect
then communicates, via the blueprint, the number, sizes, and
shapes of rooms (pages\images), how they are placed in relation
to each other (sitemap/wireframes), where extra rooms may
be added on later (planning for scalability and growth), how
these rooms are connected together (navigation/links), and
so on. All along, the architect works closely with the engineers,
who inform the architect of what is possible to build. Once
the client signs off on the blueprint, production (visual
design and then HTML programming) begins.
Visual
design can certainly enhance information design and heavily
drives the user experience. The system can function efficiently,
but users need visual cues that help them understand the areas
of the site and how they relate to each other. Color is one
aide to navigation l. For example, we are already taught that
green means go and red means stop. The user experience is
also tied heavily to the brand and visual design. An e-commerce
site may be designed to work quickly and efficiently, but
if the visual design does not reflect the brand, the user
may not stick around long enough to discover how well the
site works!
Clients
eager to get their sites up as quickly as possible sometimes
do not understand the importance of information design. Taking
the time to first draw up the blueprint for the site before
building saves both time and money in the end.
Ani
Phyo has been creating experiences on and off the web since
1990. In 1994, she founded SmartMonkey Media and has gained
industry recognition ever since as both an experience design
consultant and a web designer.
Most
recently, she has been designing for convergence of television
and web for broadcast companies in Los Angeles. Her clients
include Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Apple Computers,
Simon & Schuster, and Gymboree.
In
her spare time, Ani lectures and teaches classes on web design,
information and interaction design, and usability.
SmartMonkey
Media is a digital studio with expertise in web design, digital
video, live events, and converging media.
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