On Information Design
Soo-hong Min, Suhong Hwang · Archives of Design Research · 2016
Background As the formation of Information Design became a generalized feature in design studies, with its analytical dimensions examined during 1990s, the tendency toward treating “information” as concept itself was what made the relational approach so important. Hence, it has become crucial to expound upon the very nature of information, that is, to reflect on information. It is because the issue of how much and how one can trust certain information have come to the fore. Information Design as specialized design related activities treating information, strives to propose excellence in methodology of communication centered on consumer or user, by representing the theme, object, phenomena, or their degree of change in efficient and sophisticated manners. Such methodology is based on “classification and analysis on information (on various subjects/phenomena)” and simultaneously, “setting-up of object(s)/issue(s)” to figure out the causality, and accuracy to support such setting-up, that is, to seek “certainty”. In order to make improvements for information design, we need an approach enabling the design practices to think about “the reality” of what is the information more creatively and correctly, why and how such information comes into being. Methods This paper analyzes documents and case studies on various applications of the aforementioned three notions in our life, in the fields of Sociology, Informatics, History and Philosophy of Science, Science and Technology Studies. And, epistemological and performative features and limits of the three notions will be analyzed. Furthermore, questionnaires enabling critical thinking on actual complexity will be proposed by Information Design experiments and practices based on scientific methodology, so that information and its establishment-pursuit, the “sociality” of interpretation cold be considered carefully. Results The practice of Information Design which treats information and visualizes the context is enabled by embodying scientific methodology and exploring, but it is difficult to overcome the complexity and uncertainty of the real. It is because the visualization of Information Design cannot avoid the schematization-establishment of mechanical causal relationship which form in the process of practice and the indication of input-output. Therefore, “(certain) Information Design” can be proposed/applied only limitatively under “specific condition (or standard)”. Conclusions The concept of actual complexity is simplified and becomes abstract through classification-analysis approach, theme determining, etc. during the process of designing and realizing Information Design. Hence, certainty is pursued but uncertainty is also at stake since the real situation, which is not/could not be revealed, exists at the opposite side. The intellectual activity of Information Design cannot avoid this result. Therefore, we should always have in mind that the hidden prevails over the shown, a plenty of unseen happens in the process of seeing. With such understanding, the attitude of “information” treating design practice would become much more prudent and enhanced. assumptions about this work as well as the environment must also change.