Public Space Critique

    I was able to visit the North Lake County Annex. This building houses the Christmas Valley Sheriff's station, New Beginnings Intervention Center, Veteran's Affairs, the Department of Human Services, the satellite office for Lake County Mental Health, and the office of the public health nurse, at present. 


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     Probably the first thing that gets the attention of a visitor to this office is that there is very little information to help people know what direction they should be going. Granted, the building itself is very small, probably no larger than 1,500-square feet in total, but with the number of offices this small space contains, it is immediately confusing. There is a major lack of signage; even many office doors are bare. There is not a single sign which tells a visitor what offices are actually in the building. There is a sign on the road, but it only names two of the offices in the building. Thus, wayfinding in this environment is not considered on any significant level. One thing that I noticed is that some doors do have signs, which are made of printer paper. This is something that I realized is a problem for me, because if I see a printed paper on a door, I assume it is a note, and won't immediately consider its value for locating the correct office. My eyes have bypassed these "signs" several times, because I don't mentally equate printer paper to signage. 

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1499

     The building is basically an "L" shape, and some offices are only accessible from outside, while others are within the larger portion of the building and accessible by entering a small corridor.I think the building really needs two signs outside that can direct visitors to their destinations. One sign should be dedicated to the three offices that are immediately accessible from outside. The other should be dedicated to the offices that can only be accessed by walking into the small corridor in the main building. I think both of these signs should be freestanding near the main entrance of the building and provide arrows to direct visitors either to the outer offices, or the offices that are inside the larger portion of the building. Additionally, there should be a sign inside the corridor, directly across from the front door that can be seen as visitors enter the building, which also has arrows directing visitors to their destinations. Instead of printer paper signs that were probably used because some office space is shared by different agencies on different days of the week, I think each door should have a more official form of signage that tells not only the agency name, but also the days and hours of operation for that particular agency. The offices that are shared will need two signs, and one office may need three, since Lake County Mental Health has three therapists who use the office on different days of the week. Additionally, I feel that the heavy wooden road sign that is realistically not adequate to convey changes in the office occupancy, should be replaced with a sign that can name every agency in the building, and leave the possibility open for new signs to be added or ones that are no longer relevant to be taken away. This office has seen changes in the recent years, and will continue to do so with the growing population, so I think this is a good option. Given that I used to work in signage, I know that a sign of this type is not difficult to construct, and can be easy to change. 


   

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1701

 A sign of this type would work well for the outside signage to direct visitors to the proper office, because it is similar in style to the building itself, a complimentary color, and could have names and arrows added to it to help visitors find their way. 

Cohesiveness, Quality, and Audience

      There is a bulletin board near the front door that many flyers are tacked and stapled to. A lot of these flyers have been on the board for a very long time and contain information about county programs. In general, the bulletin board is messy and can be confusing because the public has been allowed to use it for their own advertising, even though the office inhabitants have strongly urged against this. I really feel that if a bulletin board must be used, it would look far more professional if the board were encased in acrylic or plexi-glass like many of those you see in school hallways. Additionally, I think the information needs to be organized in a manner that makes sense. As it were, the board is in total disarray to the point that one almost tries not to look at it. Another option would be to allow each office their own encased smaller bulletin board where posting for that office could be displayed. There is ample wall space for this to work. 

     Christmas Valley is generally a place of utilitarian purpose. Design doesn't matter much here. People don't seem to think about it or realize that certain design elements could make offices more user-friendly and inviting. Of course, in a space of service offices, I think the concern is even less considered, because the audience essentially has to be there. Nevertheless, it is very clear that the audience has not been considered here, from the chipping bright white paint on the interior, to the peeling and faded gray paint on the outside, to the hard chairs haphazardly placed in the corridor, to the lack of direction that the agencies give their clients. But in most places, even government and human service offices have catered to their audience to a greater degree than North Lake County has. Though, individual office-holders have put their own efforts into making the space more inviting. One agency head placed framed photographs of forest scenes in the corridor. Lake County Mental Health's office was painted, wallpapered, and two couches, and a rug were added to make the office more inviting. New Beginnings Intervention Center also painted their office, put down a rug, and added many framed posters intending to provide encouragement to clients. 

      Even if only to show community pride, I think the entire building needs an overhaul. This building was built in the 50's with a block-style and hasn't been kept up well, at all. The carpets are nearly shot through, the interior walls are smudged, cracked, and otherwise uninviting. The bathroom has worn orange linoleum, and a similarly outdated synthetic counter top. There is little clarity of purpose. The building seems like more of a rundown apartment complex full of strangers than a place where several county agencies coexist within the human service and protective services realm. There is little in the way of contextual information, aside from more posted paper signs, and I still just don't feel these are doing the trick. 


     My feeling is that in a building where stresses are likely to abound, many things could be changed to improve the mood of the building. I think the interior walls could use a coat of blue paint to calm those who work in the offices and those that visit them. I also think the hard chairs should be replaced with straight back chairs with some cushioning, as often people are forced to sit there for long periods of time. The plywood table next to the chairs needs to make its way to a yard sale, so that reading materials could be placed on a simple stand or rack that doesn't jut out into the walkway. The bathroom, with it's unfortunate dated style should also be upgraded and colored with hues that don't add to peoples' stress. I also feel that the shared-use copy machine which is tucked into what may have once been a closet, should have doors hiding it because it is constantly surrounded by a mess of paper scraps and the like. The view of the mess coupled with the rest of the disarray of the building adds to a sense of unease in the corridor. 


Overall Impression


       Overall, I have to say that this public space is a design nightmare. It's difficult to navigate, poorly kept, disorganized, uncomfortable, outdated, and disjointed. It's not user-friendly, and it's plainly confusing. Nevertheless, I think the problems could be fixed fairly easily, with a small budget. 

      I have used graphic elements in all of my blogs. The graphic elements I have created myself (such as the flowcharts) were created using CorelDraw. The graphic elements contained in this post were created using Adobe Illustrator. Graphic elements can be used to do a number of helpful things in information design. 

                                                                       Graphic elements can be used

                                                                          to direct a viewer's     

                                                                             attention to a specific piece

                                                                                of information. 

            

Graphic elements can also be 

used to clarify information. 

                                                                            Graphic elements can be used 

                                                                               to direct a viewer's eyes 

                                                                                through the desired navigational

                                                                                   pathway around a piece of    

                                                                                      designed information.     

     Graphic elements can also be used to create interest. Often, when a viewer is looking at a piece of information, they don't dedicate ample time to read everything. But a well-placed graphic element can draw the viewer in to take a closer look at the information provided. 

Graphic elements can also:

• Help to organize information
• Create balance
• Create cohesiveness 
• Create unity 
• Provide a way to effectively use color

                           

Using a Flowchart in Information Design

     A flowchart is a diagram which can tell us how something is done is a process where even numerous steps are involved. In order to begin with a flowchart, you must have a defined problem, as well as at least one defined solution. 

Let's Look More Closely

     I have a defined problem. I need to know how an Empire State College student puts together a blog posting for Information Design class. I also have one defined solution, which is that a student should read the instructor commentary, the course text, and the blog assignment instructions and incorporate them into a creative process to create a blog posting. My flowchart to illustrate this process is below. 

  

   More Examples 

     I have flowchart of the feedback loop involved in the blog creation process in the course in my last posting. But even the process of creating the blog in its entirety has a framework behind it. This flowchart shows a more detailed depiction of blog creation for Information Design class at Empire State College. 

How can a Flowchart be used in Information Design?

     When working on an information design project, all of our components should follow some logical framework. The flowchart, as a tool to answer questions pertaining to how something is done can be incorporated directly into a piece of designed information to illustrate a process, or it can be used to develop a more language-based piece of designed information. In other words, once we have all our pieces of the flowchart puzzle, we can more easily describe the details of a process. 

The Information Design Process

Where to Begin? 


       When one is designing information, there are two parties that need to be taken into account immediately: the client, and the audience. In order to do this you know two things well:

• Your Client
• Your Audience 

     To know your client, there are several things to consider. You need to know what industry they exist in, what product or service they offer, where they are located, who they key decision makers are, and so on. To know your intended audience, there are several more considerations. First, you need to know who makes up your largest audience. You must understand your primary audience's demographics, as well as the demographics of any other significant audience. You must know what information they need to have. You must know what what context they will use this information in. You also need to know how your audience will interact with the information. For instance, some information will be read from a book or on a computer; still other information may be part of a wayfinding system of signage. 

     In my case, my client would likely be the teacher of my Information Design course. My audience would be distance learners at Empire State College. I don't know the typical demographics of my classmates, but I do know what context I am presenting information for, what information is needed, and how the information will be interacted with. I am presenting information for other students to critique and learn from. I am presenting the information outlined in the assignment for this blog post, and everyone who reads it will be doing so from a computer of one sort or another. Knowing these things helps me to present the information in a way that is appropriate to my client and audience. And personally, I think knowing the client and audience is the most important step in beginning to design information. I feel this way because this knowledge serves as the jumping off point for the project. Though, organization takes a very close second, because it doesn't matter how well you know who you are designing information for, if you cannot organize it in a coherent manner. 

     When you have your information, it must be organized in a manner that makes sense. The alphanumeric system can be useful for projects where a lot of information is involved. Content should always be reviewed while it is being organized and it should also be organized in such a fashion that it is appropriate for meeting both client and audience needs. You must be sure during the process of organizing that all pertinent information is in hand and ready to be put into the project. Before I posted this blog, I wrote out a few pages of notes and organized them to present this information in a structured manner. I made headings and subheadings in my notebook. I followed most of them, but modified some, as I began to type the information herein. 

     Additionally, it is imperative to plan for the maintenance of information. If the information is presented on a website, for instance, someone will need to know what information to update, when, and how to update said information. Sometimes maintenance of information will be done by persons outside of the client's company. Sometimes an internal person is or can be trained to maintain information. The format of the information also needs to be decided upon. While more and more information is being put on the Internet, paper publications remain in existence, and may be the best way to present certain information. There are more formats to choose from, still, including video, audio, and more. The maintenance of information I have done hasn't been in my blog. I have, however, maintained information on a website that I created. I have to do so periodically when new information becomes available, and when site members ask questions or bring up topics in my forums. 

The Next Step: The Creative Brief

     The creative brief is known by other names, but serves as a map for the design team. It outlines critical points of the project. It should be a workable reference for all of those involved. It also allows the client to have a clearer picture of what the finished product will look like. This promotes feedback and allows potential issues to surface before the project is started. I've never used a creative brief in the detail described here, because all of my detailed work has been done by and for myself. However, were I to work directly with a client, I can certainly see why I would use one. 

What is in a Creative Brief? 

• Information about the client company including location, business or industry, etc. 
• Competitor information 
• Information on target markets or audiences
• The purpose of the project
• The reason for implementing the project at the present time, and any information about similar projects previously implemented that could be helpful in determining factors to ensure success of the current project
• A brief project overview giving key information
• Goals
• Problems to solve
• Opportunities 
• How success will be measured
• Technical requirements
• Creative requirements
• Brand guidelines 
• Project logistics 
• Overview of the team working on the project
• Key dates in project completion
• Budget hours

What Else Can Help in Designing Information?

     User profiles and the creation of personas with those user profiles can greatly help in the information design process. A persona is basically an imaginary friend created of traits from expected users. The persona can be used to create scenarios where designers can anticipate the needs and quirks of the audiences they intend to serve. 

     Understanding typography is another important thing for effective information design. I worked on a desktop publishing certificate in junior college and typography was probably the most discussed element to creating user-friendly information designs. Understanding the need for proper spacing, the use of headings, subheadings, boldface fonts, and the like are all very relevant to making a document, website, magazine page, or any other piece of designed information easy to navigate, and thus easy to use. 

Site Maps

     Site maps are most effective for projects containing lots of information. The site map is similar to a flowchart and should be created before designing starts. It outlines all elements of the project, and will likely show headings, subheadings, and become a visual example of the way in which the information will be organized. The site map is a place to organize data and ensures that a plan can be approved before design begins. 

Testing the Project 

      Testing a project prototype with persons of the appropriate audience is a great way to get user feedback in the design phase. Testing should not be overlooked as a vital part of the process. 

My Thoughts on the Process 

      This process is one described by Kim Baer in the Information Design Workbook. Much of the information is new to me, but I can see its' relevance. One thing I think I would add to the process is the use of diagrams in the very beginning. Now, the site map is a diagram, but it comes right before beginning design. I think diagrams showing the flow of information from the client to the audience, and then the audience back to the client, as well as some that show the hierarchy of those working on the project could eliminate confusion in the beginning stages. I think these diagrams could not only illustrate important information up front, but could also aid the client in beginning to acclimate to the design process early on. 

Sample diagram of blog feedback flow for Information Design course

      

Sense-Making: A theory for information design

     Sense-making was developed as an evaluation tool to determine how human beings experience their interactions with outside stimuli, such as media and institutions. The findings discovered through use of sense-making evaluative studies were applied to applicable information and communication systems. The underlying goal of sense-making is to create an open channel between the human element effectively utilizing the nonhuman element. The human being is in constant movement from one situation to the next. Sense-making creates a clear walkway from one situation to the next for the human being.


     Sense-making is a powerful tool for many applications, including the design of information. It's power lies in its' ability to anticipate roadblocks for the human being, and eliminate them. It analyzes the position of the person, the position of the outside force or entity, and seeks to make a clear channel for usefulness and understanding between the two.

      One pitfall of sense-making is that it can never really end. If we are living in a reality lacking order and seek to create order, our work can never be finished. Additionally, any model of such a theory is very abstract, and cannot be easily used by all types of thinkers.


     Sense making can be used in the blog environment by bridging gaps between human action, human understanding, and human action after the understanding is incorporated into his or her world. For instance, since the goal of this blog post is to describe the theory of sense-making and its' usefulness in information design, a great achievement hereafter would be for a reader to pick up a pen and put himself in a situation, identify the blocks between his goals and himself, and devise a plan for dissolving those blocks. Once the situation is outlined on paper, we have the theory of sense-making in information design put into action.

Please bear with me as we change gears...

       A man is walking into a university. Why is he walking into the university? He is walking into the university to pay his bill. Where does he go in the university to pay his bill? The man goes to the cashier's office. How does the man find the cashier's office? He follows the signs in the university which point to the cashier's office. What ways can he pay his bill? He can pay with cash or credit card. Why, he asks, can he not pay with a check? The university does not accept checks. Why did his bill state that checks were accepted? There was a change in policy after his bill was printed.

      The above example is one of sense-making. When asking and answering the questions involved in this man's trip to the university, the reader understands the details of the situation. One could also devise from this example that the university may have failed to provide necessary information to the man when sending his bill pertaining to the upcoming changes in policy. Sense-making would have the goal to guide the man through the university, and allow him to pay his bill in an uncomplicated manner. If the man had nothing with him but his checkbook, he couldn't pay his bill and thus there was a gap between this man and resolving the situation that sense-making could address.

       Sense-making in the context of information design asks the same sorts of questions. The who, what, why, and how of the situation are what will guide our information design. And if we leave our information-users confused at the end of our information presentation, we haven't made sense to them, have we? As information designers using the sense-making approach we have to be wary of communication glitches, inadequate information, navigation of information, and most importantly what blocks stand in the way of our information being presented effectively, and how to make the transition from data on a sheet to useful information in any given circumstance in the most effective way possible.

What is Information Design?

     Like many subjects in the world today, information design has no universal definition. But that doesn't mean that information design is difficult to understand. In short, information design is exactly what it sounds like: the design of information. We experience information design every day on roadside signage, on web pages, in advertising, in the newspaper, in brochures, in the little instruction pages we get in the packaging of our latest gadget, on social networking sites, in atlases and dictionaries, and so on. Information design is the underlying way that information is presented from color to layout and just about everything in between.

     How do we design information? One may design information however one chooses to. But for information design to be effective the designer must understand certain components, and consider several factors.

Components and Their Use in Information Design 

     What components are involved in information design? There are many. But for an introduction, there are concepts of typography, color, graphic elements, use of space, and structure of information.

• TYPOGRAPHY

       Typography has changed dramatically over the years as technology has advanced, but its' core elements have stayed the same. Typography encompasses the layout of text and the use of different fonts and sizes of fonts. Using appropriate typography concepts in information design can make information more desirable to specific audiences, as well as make information easier to navigate and read.

• COLOR 

       Color affects most people. Effective information designers understand color theory and know how to use color to attract people to their designs, make designs more readable, and draw attention to specific portions of information. The use of color is probably most important in the context of Internet-based publications, since the computer screen captures more colors than most publishers of printed matter could ever dream of capturing.

• GRAPHIC ELEMENTS

        Graphic elements play a huge part in present-day information design. Graphic elements can be as simple as a border around a block of text or more complex than an interactive 3-D map. Graphic elements can be used to convey information, enhance information, or to more effectively display information, among other things.

• USE OF SPACE

       A good information designer uses space wisely. He doesn't fill every inch of a page with information and rarely prints a single word on a blank page to get the message across. There is a balance where the designer is able to convey information in an organized manner without causing confusion, overwhelming the reader, or making the text difficult to read.

• STRUCTURE OF INFORMATION

       The structure of information is also important. If in conveying information, the designer starts with the final step in a process and ends with the first, the reader may become confused and get lost in the process of trying to follow the information. Care must be taken in structuring information in such a way that it is useful for the reader.

Factors that Effect Information Design 

      What factors need to be considered? First, a good information designer must know who he is designing information for. For instance, if a designer is designing information to be read and appreciated by teenage girls in a fashion magazine, this designer will use an entirely different set of design ideas than he would were the designer creating an Internet-based learning environment for students of Microbiology at the graduate level.

      In addition to considerations of audience, the information designer must know the capabilities of the medium in which she is going to publish her information. If the designer works for a newspaper, there are constraints of space which are different from a web page. There are also differences in color processing, and the designer may or may not have the ability to design the entire layout of the publication if said publication is partial to the layout they have been using.

      In conjunction with these factors there are also considerations of professional expectation, type of information (financial data vs. instructional materials for instance), accessibility of information, and so on. A good information designer doesn't just know design, she knows audience, presentation styles for various types of information, and sometimes must have a mastery of the language the textual content is presented in, as well.