Information Design - Exercises

Information Design - Exercises
06/01/20 - 21/02/20 (Week 1 - Week 3)
Sia Man Sheng
0333877

---

LECTURE NOTES

Lecture 1: Information Visualization
07/01/20 - week 1
Without much explains on this lecture but self-exploration afterwards. From the slides, I did know the brief history of information visualization and the importance of it. The goal of information visualization is always to process complicated and a mass amount of data in a form that could easily understand and effective in delivering the message. Furthermore, it is always to add knowledge to the content.

Lecture Slide 1: Introduction to Information Visualization 

Flip 01: Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifesto
09/01/20 - week 01

My group and I were given a task to present on the topic of "Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifesto" and relate it to 2 good & 2 poor examples. Throughout the research phase, I got to have a depth understanding of the importance of organising information in an effective way to be easily understood by the target audience.

The 9 Directives Manifesto consists of:

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

My Part: Forms of Function + Interactivity is the key + 1 Good Example

Flip 01: Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifesto 

FEEDBACK: Overall Well Done and get the best group of this presenting topic. I eventually get the best speaker, the comments are I manage to break down all information into smaller parts, delivered in a clear manner and elaborate all necessary information effectively. 


Flip 02: Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H. Principle
17/01/20 - week 02

My group and I were given a task to present on the topic of "Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H." and relate it to the examples. Throughout the research, I got to identify the application of L.A.T.C.H. in different platform such as fashion, packaging, books, website, etc. As well as being more aware of this principle and will try to apply it in my future design journal.

The Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H. consists of:

1.  Location
2.  Alphabet
3.  Time
4.  Category
5.  Hierarchy

My Part: Time + Conclusion

Flip 02: Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H.  

FEEDBACK: Good Job


Flip 03: Miller's Law (Chunking)
28/01/20 - week 04
From this lecture, I learned that chunking is a useful process of assembling chunks of information into larger units, and due to how limited of human's short memory it is, chunking is the key to let people remember and understand the information effectively.

My Part: Process Example

Flip 03: Miller's Law (Chunking)  

Flip 04 & 05: Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H. Principle
18/02/20 - week 07

Throughout the research, I have realized that not just there is a specific purpose for each type of infographic, but also the key element or consideration in constructing such infographic successfully. Moreover, exploration of online design tools has made me compare among them and choose the best and most suitable one for me- Piktochart.

My Part: Comparison Infographic

Lecture Slide 3: Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H.  

FEEDBACK: Your group has performed well consistently as throughout the semester, very good, keep it up. I like your graphic style and the way you are presenting it, it is clear and straight forward.

---

INSTRUCTIONS

PDF 1: Module Information Booklet

---

BUTTONS
In this exercise, we were given a task to collect data from a set of buttons and present it in the way you want. I decided to go for the white colour of buttons. Below is my data collected from the set of buttons. I was intended to use infographic manner to present while collecting data at the first stage. This enables me to see the amount clearly and has eased my workload as I do not need to keep on comparing the data in numeric number forms with the image. It is all in one.

Diagram 1.1: Processed & Collected Data

Sketches
The very first sketch is very rough and presenting a few selected methods as I want to present buttons in such ways.

Diagram 1.2: Rough Sketch

Then, I decided to choose the methods that could best catch the attention of readers and making it not boring and effective in convey data at the same time.

Diagram 1.3: Detail Sketch

Final Outcome

Diagram 1.4: Final Outcome

In the final outcome, there is a few goals I want to achieve:

Interactivity & Narrative
In order to make the infographic interesting, I give a story to it, which is making the buttons rolling down following the path. By doing so, readers will be intended to clarify what is going on here and have the intention to see through the path. This action of investigation and discovery is the key to achieve interactivity according to Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifesto.

Forms of Function
The purpose of doing this infographic is to process the complex data extracted from buttons in a clear manner to make it understandable at first glance. Hence, there is not much decorative and unnecessary elements, minimalistic instead. The reading flow does follow the visual hierarchy, which is from top to bottom from left to right, clearly shown in the upper diagram.

Clarity of Information
In order to deliver the data clearly, supportive and necessary icons or labelling were made. Using letters to represent the texture and a graph to represent the complex types of buttons. The whole result can be separate into 2 parts: (I.) Upper part to attract readers and showing the relationship of sizes, texture & colour and amount. (II.) Summary at the bottom to show the relationship between 2 holes/4 holes, texture & colour and amount of buttons in the simplest way.

Diagram 1.5: 1 circle = 3 buttons

Diagram 1.6: Graph showing texture and amount of it

Diagram 1.7: Buttons are drawn to differentiate 2 holes and 4 holes

---

POKEMON

In this exercise, we were given a task to create a visual poster by using pokemon as the theme while applying Saul Wurman's LATCH principle. Four pokemon must include, the picture for pokemon could be reuse but other visual elements we have to create ourselves.

Brainstorming
My main requirement is to create a totally different style from the seniors' work. Throughout the research, I get exposed to a lot of graphic style and infographic composition, but the most inspiring me is the papercut effect and pixel art for pokemon as it was originated from there. Hence, I found an artwork that somehow combined these two styles and I decided to go for that. My brainstorming process is as below:

  

Diagram 2.1: Seniors's Work, which I want something different from them

Diagram 2.2: Paper Cut Graphic Style to show Narrative

Diagram 2.3: Paper Cut & Pixel Graphic Style Applied on Pokemon Map

Diagram 2.4: Main Graphic Style that I Want to Achieve

Diagram 2.5: Sketches and Ideations being note down researching

Pokemon Image Sources

While considering paper cut graphic style, I cannot go for the 3d version of pokemon but at the same time, I do not want to go for pixelated style. Hence, flat art best fits my choice. In choosing the type of pokemon, I have selected fairy & ghost, water & fire to create contrast in order to create visual tension to catch attention and give it a story.

Diagram 3.1 Jigglypuff & Wigglypuff (Fairy Type)

Diagram 3.2: Gastly, Haunter & Gengar (Ghost Type)

Diagram 3.3: Horsea & Seadra (Water Type)

Diagram 3.4: Ponyta & Rapidash (Fire Type)

Process- Papercut effect
In order to learn how to make the papercut effect, I look for a tutorial on youtube:

Diagram 4.1: Process

Diagram 4.2: Process

Diagram 4.3: Process

Diagram 4.4 First Attempt

Process- Pixel Art effect

In order to learn how to make pixel art on the indicator icon/signboard, I look for a tutorial on youtube as well:

Diagram 5.1 Two types of the board have been created for location and ability introduction

Diagram 5.2 Second Attempt

Process- Drawing Pokemon

When I proceed to the next stage, I realized that the pokemon art style which I have chosen is without the Igglybuff pokemon. Hence, I referred to the graphic style in Jigglypuff and redraw it using the same colour scheme as well.

Diagram 6.1 Redrawing Pokemon

Diagram 6.2 Third Attempt when all pokemon has been traced out

FEEDBACK: Ms Anis said they readers cannot identify there is an evolution of pokemon with them just lining up, it needs something to show readers they are actually evolving. May look into growth chart. Putting an arrow could be a way to do so as well.

Final Outcome

Diagram 7.1 Final Artwork (Pokemon Poster)

Diagram 7.2 process of adding layers to indicate evolving in pokemon

Diagram 7.2 HIerarchy & Timeline

Hierarchy & Time

Showing hierarchy through the evolving from the first evolution until the third evolution. The variation of sizes is the key to present this more directly and clearly to the readers. It does show the timeline as well because it follows the chronological order and reading flow of humans, which is from left to right.

Diagram 7.3

Location & Category
In this case, location and category have been work together to narrow down the different region of pokemon. The whole section is divided into 4 and each indicating one location. The location itself does represent the type and traits of that particular type of pokemon as well.

Diagram 7.1 Final Artwork (Pokemon Poster)

Alphabet
Presenting the ability of each type of pokemon under particular region using bar chart and arrange them in alphabetical order.