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Article published In:
Information Design Journal
Vol. 21:2 (2014) ► pp.115–128

A guided approach to conceptual design in the information design process

Conceptual design is often overlooked and underestimated by information designers who tend to be more focused on implementation and concerned with aesthetic qualities. Consequently, there is a lack of thorough thinking and understanding during the conceptual part of the design process that results in a recurrent development of unintelligible diagrams in information design practice. Bringing awareness to conceptual design can help designers realize its function and importance for the development of effective diagrams. To address this situation, this paper proposes the adoption in professional practice of a conceptual design tool with a guided approach, e.g., MapCI Cards. Working with this approach may aid information designers in the preparation of diagrams by guiding conceptual design tasks: understanding the diagram purpose and intended-audience, analyzing and simplifying information sources, identifying subject areas and information types, and defining their organization into a hierarchical structure. We describe this type of approach and discuss its usefulness for information designers, explaining how it could support their conceptual design decision-making. Then, we present scenarios in which working with the approach could be beneficial, followed by recommendations to use this approach in professional practice.
Keywords: information design, decision-making, conceptual design, diagrams, guided approach, understanding
Published online: 3 November 2015
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https://doi.org/10.1075/idj.21.2.04pon
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Cited by three other publications

Moys, Jeanne-Louise
2024. Review of Pontis & Babwahsingh (2023): Information Design Unbound: Key Concepts and Skills for Making Sense in a Changing World. Information Design Journal 29:1 ► pp. 84 ff. DOI logo
Pontis, Sheila
2021. Understanding the impact of supporting conceptual information design. Information Design Journal 26:1 ► pp. 33 ff. DOI logo
Pontis, Sheila & Michael Babwahsingh
2016. Improving information design practice. Information Design Journal 22:3 ► pp. 249 ff. DOI logo

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