Information Design: Project 1

20.01.22 - 11.02.22 (Week 3 - Week 6)
Chai Yi Xuan / 0346645 / B' Creative Media
Information Design
Project 1 / Instructable Infographic Poster

---

LECTURES

Week 3 (Miller's Law)

Miller's Law, chunking, is a term referring to the process of grouping individual tasks into larger units. George Miller, a psychologist, conducted a research in 1956 in which he found the limit of the human ability to process information. In that research, he found that most people remember up to 7 items and 2 in their short-term memory.

To improve the amount information remembered, chunking is used to group information as a large whole, which will be make data more memorable.

Chunking can be done by linking items that are similar to each other. Information is first broken down into manageable bits. Then, by identifying the similarity, the information can be grouped as a whole— allowing us to remember things easily.

Week 4 (Manuel Lima's 9 Directive Manifesto)

Information visualization is a process that transforms abstract data into visual representations of semantics that attempt to communicate complex ideas clearly, while allowing the user to query the data in real time. Manuel Lima had written 9 directives clarifying what information visualization is about, and how it differs from information arts or infographics.

The 9 Directives:

1. Form Follows Function
   
2. Interactivity is Key
   
3. Cite Your Sources
   
4. The Power of Narrative
   
5. Do Not Glorify Aesthetics
   
6. Look for Relevancy
   
7. Embrace Time
   
8. Aspire for Knowledge
   
9. Avoid Gratuitous Visualizations
   

Week 5 (Misinformation Crisis)

Misinformation refers to false information that is spread regardless of intents; and disinformation refers to false information that is spread with the intent of misleading others.

Misinformation (or disinformation) can lead to devastating consequences. For example, in America, the information about the severity of Covid-19 was falsified, and it led into 585 000 deaths.

It is important that as designers, we have to fact-check the information we are given to avoid the spread of fake news.

---

INSTRUCTIONS

To-Do List:

Design an instructable poster of a recipe from Pasta Grannies

Using the link provided by Miss Anis, I went to the Pasta Grannies channel to search for a recipe that would interest me.

I was interested in the Helena's apple strudel and Giocanda's pizza, but ultimately went with the apple strudel recipe.

I determined the ingredients first, then broke down the instructions and order to make the apple strudel.

Figure 1.1: Sketch #1 of infographic

Figure 1.2: Sketch #2 of infographic

Then, I created a few canvases and placed the recipe around the board, to determine whether the placement of information is suitable. Eventually, I found sketch #2 to be the best out of them. I then illustrated the graphics for my poster.

Figure 1.3: Creating the layout of the infographic

Figure 1.4: Illustrating the ingredients

Figure 1.5: Organise the items and labels/instructions

Final Outcome:

Figure 1.6: Finalised instructable poster

Figure 1.7: PDF file of instructable poster

---

REFLECTIONS

The project itself poses a few challenges for me. For one, I had to sort the information I have into one canvas. Arguably, the canvas is 1240px*1750px, which is bigger than what I usually work with— but I still struggled to all of the information into the poster. Most of it came from my want for aesthetics, which I quickly learn that prioritizing it will eat up the space needed for the recipe and description.

I switched my thinking by making sure all of the information is arranged in order. In the end, I was able to convey all the important information. Surprisingly, when I focused less on the aesthetics, the poster came out looking better than before.

Project 1 had required the understanding and experience of previous exercises (plus FLIP classes), and I am glad that I get to practice the knowledge I gained in another assignment.