Information Design Exercise
3.2.2025 -10.2.2025 (Week1-Week4)
liuziyu/0367533/Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media
Information Design
Task:Exercises
INSTRUCTIONS
Week1:
This week introduced the basic concepts of infographics and their eight main types, each with specific application scenarios and design methods. Infographics effectively convey information in a clear and engaging way, widely used in design and marketing to enhance user engagement.
Eight Types of Infographics
1. List Infographics ：Present information in a list format to improve readability and memorability.
2. Statistical Infographics： Use charts to visualize data, making statistics more intuitive.
3. How-to Infographics： Illustrate step-by-step processes, simplifying understanding.
4. Timeline Infographics： Show events in chronological order, often used for history or project progress.
5. Comparison Infographics：Visually compare different options to aid decision-making.
6. Map Infographics：Display geographical data, such as population distribution or market coverage.
7. Flowchart Infographics：Represent steps or decision paths in a flowchart format to enhance interactivity.
8. Process Description Infographics：Break down complex processes into clear, understandable steps.
By visualizing information, infographics make data and concepts easier to read, understand, and remember.
Week 2:
L.A.T.C.H Theory
Introduction
L.A.T.C.H (Location, Alphabetical, Temporal, Category, Hierarchy) is a method proposed by Richard Saul Wurman to effectively organize information and improve user experience (UX).
Five Organization Methods
1. Location: Arrange by location (e.g. map).
2. Alphabetical: A-Z order (e.g. dictionary).
3. Temporal: Order by time (e.g. timeline).
4. Category: Group by type (e.g. product classification).
5. Hierarchy: Order by importance (e.g. ranking).
Applications
Web and UX: Improve navigation.
Social Media: Sort by time.
E-commerce: Use categories + hierarchy for better shopping.
Maps: Organize data by space.
Design Tips
Choose the right L.A.T.C.H method** to improve readability.
Use icons + colors to enhance structure.
Apply user research for logical sorting.
Maintain a clear hierarchy for easy understanding.
Visual Design
Color: Differentiate organizational methods.
Grid: Ensure clear layout.
Graphics: Use maps, timelines, and categories for clarity.
L.A.T.C.H improves information organization and user experience, making content easier to navigate.
Week 3:
Miller’s Law & Information Design
Introduction
Miller’s Law states that human short-term memory can hold 7±2 pieces of information for about 30 seconds. Understanding this helps designers improve information clarity and user experience (UX).
Key Concepts
Short-term memory is limited: People remember 5-9 items at once.
Information overload reduces efficiency: Too much data affects decision-making.
Chunking improves memory: Breaking information into smaller parts enhances recall.
Optimized design improves communication: Fewer choices and clear structure enhance usability.
The Paradox of Choice
Too many options overwhelm users, making decisions harder and reducing retention. Simplifying information leads to better engagement and improved understanding.
Chunking Strategy
What is chunking? A method of grouping related information into smaller, digestible sections.
Why use it? Helps users process, remember, and retain information efficiently.
How to apply it? Reduce excessive information, organize content clearly, and structure layouts effectively.
By applying Miller’s Law and chunking, designers can create clear, user-friendly experience that enhance understanding and retention.
Week 4:
Manuel Lima’s 9 Principles of Information Visualization
Introduction
Information visualization is not just about making data look good—it should enhance understanding and convey insights effectively. Manuel Lima’s 9 principles serve as a guide for designing clear, interactive, and purposeful visualizations that improve user experience (UX).
Manuel Lima’s 9 Principles
1. Form Follows Function
- The goal of visualization is to explain and provide insight, not just to look attractive.
- Always design with clarity and purpose in mind.
2.Interactivity is Key
- Users should be able to explore and interact with data.
- Interactive elements improve engagement and comprehension.
3. Cite Your Source
- Data must be accurate and credible—always provide sources.
- Transparency builds trust and reliability in information.
4. The Power of Narrative
- People remember stories better than raw data.
- Use storytelling techniques to make visualizations more engaging and memorable.
5. Do Not Glorify Aesthetics
- Aesthetics should support information clarity, not distract from it.
- Avoid unnecessary design elements that reduce readability.
6. Look for Relevance
- Before designing, identify the key message the visualization should convey.
- Ensure all displayed information is useful and meaningful.
7. Embrace Time
- Time-based data is often complex but essential for showing trends and patterns.
- Proper handling of time improves decision-making and storytelling.
8. Aspire for Knowledge
- The purpose of visualization is to transform raw data into meaningful knowledge.
- Design should help users analyze, learn, and gain insights.
9. Avoid Gratuitous Visualizations
- Simplicity is key—remove any unnecessary elements that add noise.
- A good visualization acts as a cognitive filter, highlighting what matters most.
Conclusion
By applying these principles, designers can create effective, clear, and insightful data visualizations that enhance user understanding and decision-making.
Exercise1:
Quantify and visualize data
In the first exercise, we need to count (statistics) items of our choice (Lego bricks/buttons of different colors or sizes/colored candies, etc.), arrange the items on an A3 sheet into a presentation layout or chart. The information must be presented as it is, and the relevant indicators are written in pen to help us visually see the quantities and data.
For this exercise, I used colored firecrackers. And sorted them according to their colors.
I first classified them by color, since there was no need to classify them if they were the same size. Then I used firecrackers of the same color to make nice lines.
Exercise2:
Classification of "Honor of Kings"
For this exercise, I chose the competitive game "Honor of Kings" and classified its information based on:
1. Time (Before & After Heroes Appear) – Tracks hero releases and game evolution.
2. Strength – Categorizes heroes by power levels and meta relevance.
3. Number of Users – Shows hero popularity based on player usage.
4. Branches – Groups heroes by roles (Warrior, Assassin, Mage, etc.).
This classification helps analyze game balance, strategy, and player preferences.
This is the reference picture I found：
This is my draft：
This is my finished product：
Feedback：
Exercise1:
At first, the teacher thought the colored popsicles I found were too big to be suitable for display, so he asked me to change them.
The teacher said that the picture I found is okay but I can't copy it exactly.
REFLECTION
Reflection on Information Technology
This week's exploration of information technology deepened my understanding of how data can be organized, visualized, and communicated effectively. Infographics, as a powerful tool, help transform complex information into intuitive and engaging visuals, improving accessibility and comprehension.
Through classification exercises, I learned the importance of structuring information logically, identifying key patterns, and presenting data in a way that enhances decision-making. The process of categorizing elements—such as in *Honor of Kings*—reinforced how technology aids in analyzing trends, user behavior, and system structures.
Overall, information technology plays a crucial role in making data-driven insights more accessible and actionable, bridging the gap between raw data and meaningful communication.
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