Information design

Information design is about considering the best way to present any type of information. This includes web functionality, graphs, maps, tables and text. It ensures that each piece of content contributes to the users’ understanding of the message. Information design focuses on simplicity and clarity. It is also a good way to meet and collaborate with designers and web developers from the start of a project.

Information design can be especially helpful for complex content. If you are communicating difficult concepts to users, it may benefit from a multiformat approach. 

Information design process

The process starts at the earliest stages of content development and has 3 scales:

• large-scale analysis and organisation of the content (the ‘story’), so that information has structure, is engaging and flows logically – this helps readers to understand the main messages
• medium-scale mapping of the elements of the story, creating visual concepts and revising the text to help readers navigate and understand the content
• fine-scale styling and presentation of the content, including text, fonts, colours, graphical elements, figures, tables, graphs and diagrams, in a way that will focus readers’ attention on the details.

Before content development

When considering potential new content, discuss with your team questions such as:

• What are the best formats for the content’s aims and messages? 
• How do you want the users to feel when reading the content? Would it be helpful to use a behavioural insights approach?
• Are there data that would be best suited to a graph or a table?
• Are there complex ideas that would benefit from an infographic or a flowchart?
• Who are the users? Would they benefit from key points summary at the start of each webpage or section? Would something like case studies or examples help understand key points?
• If the final product is a website, what functionality does the website need? For example, is there complex content with a lot of references? How will these need to be dealt with? 
• Are multiple types of formats being produced? How will the content types work within each format?

Considering factors like these at the start allows the final content to work together better, and be readable, engaging and effective. 

Also see Understanding your users and Visuals and data.

During content development

Throughout content development, work closely with a graphic or visual designer, or a data visualisation specialist, to produce any visual or graphic content. Use elements of the story to guide development of tools for navigation and understanding, such as flowcharts, process steps, key points boxes and infographics. Any interactive features on websites, such as data visualisations, should be planned as well.

Ensure that text and visual displays are well matched – the text above and surrounding a table, graph or image should refer and relate to the image. You should map elements of the content to guide visual concepts, images, colours and page styles that capture the essence of the content.

On a broader scale, features to help readers navigate and understand the information (e.g. flowcharts, infographics, site structure, menus, colour coding, headers and footers) need to be developed with graphic designers, or web designers and web developers. Functionality such as cross-linking should be developed, and cross-links identified in the content.

Complex information requires a detailed copyedit to ensure all the content is working well together. A copyedit ensures accurate and consistent word styles, language and grammar, abbreviations, cross-references, citations and scientific terminology. Also, tables, figures and other images should be carefully edited. Alternative text will also be needed to meet accessibility needs.

User experience and usability testing can help identify the best colours, fonts and placement of text, tables, images and infographics to maintain users’ attention and improve understanding. 

Also see Accessibility, Structure and writing, and Visuals and data.