INFORMATION DESIGN | EXERCISES

Different types of infographics are used in design and marketing to present information in a simple and visually appealing way.
Infographics are a useful alternative to text-based content.

TYPES OF INFOGRAPHICS:

Figure 2.1-1: List Infographic

1. List Infographic:

Characteristics:

Uses numbered lists.
Has a lot of text and visuals.

Purpose:

To contextualise information using visuals.
To make information more digestible.

Figure 2.1-2: Statistical Infographic

2. Statistical Infographic:

Characteristics:

Uses visual representations of data (e.g. pie charts, bar graphs).
Includes percentage radials and illustrations to help visualise data.

Purpose: To make statistics easier to understand.

Figure 2.1-3: How-to Infographic

3. How-to Infographic:

Characteristics:

Explains how to do something.
Makes each step of a process easier to absorb.

Purpose: To explain lengthy information without overwhelming the viewer.

Figure 2.1-4: Timeline Infographic

4. Timeline Infographic:

Characteristics:

Diverse in terms of use.
Events/milestones are arranged chronologically.
Uses icons and illustrations alongside the timeline to represent each point.

Purpose: To make complex information easier to follow.

Figure 2.1-5: Comparison Infographic

5. Comparison Infographic:

Characteristics: Has two or more distinct concepts presented side by side.
Purpose:

To help viewers understand the distinction between various concepts.
To help viewers choose which option best suits them (for concepts with choices).

Figure 2.1-6: Map & Location Infographic

6. Map & Location Infographic:

Characteristics:

Displays geographic-related data.
Used extensively by companies and organisations.

Purpose:

To communicate demographic data.
To make spatial relationships, trends, and patterns easier to understand.

Figure 2.1-7: Flowchart Infographic

7. Flowchart Infographic:

Characteristics:

Describes steps of a process in sequential order.
Examples of elements that may be included: Sequence of actions, inputs and outputs (i.e. materials/services entering and leaving the process), decisions that must be made, people involved, time involved, measurements.
Feels more personal and resonates with audiences as flowcharts guide people individually.

Purpose:

To document a process.
To communicate how a process is done.
To plan a project.

Figure 2.1-8: Process Description Infographic

8. Process Description Infographic:

Characteristics:

Describes the steps of a process in detail.
Describes technical information/complex actions.

Purpose:

To highlight important steps.
To simplify complex ideas by breaking them down and grouping them by category.

2.2 WEEK 2 — LATCH THEORY

WHAT IS LATCH THEORY:

LATCH theory is a framework of organising information.
Coined by Richard Saul Wurman.

LATCH THEORY:

Figure 2.2-1: Location

L — Location:

Location = Physical/virtual locations.
E.g. Web pages, databases, and geodetic reference points.

Figure 2.2-2: Alphabet

A — Alphabet:

The easiest way to group information.
E.g. Directories, contact lists, and indices.

Figure 2.2-3: Time

T — Time:

Information is arranged in chronological order.
E.g. Calendars, project timelines, and event logs.
Effectively used in social media applications.
E.g. Users are informed about the recent events in their contacts’ lives.

Figure 2.2-4: Category

C — Category:

Category = Grouping of related items.
Categories should be defined in a way that makes sense to the user.
Frequently used to organise content on websites.
Tools that help design relevant categories: Card Sorting.

Figure 2.2-5: Hierarchy

H — Hierarchy:

Hierarchy = Arrangement of information by order.
E.g. Size, cost (high to low, low to high), and popularity.

2.3 WEEK 3 — MILLER'S LAW OF MEMORY

MILLER'S LAW OF MEMORY:

Figure 2.3-1: The Magical Number 7, ± 2

Miller's Law suggests that:

The short-term memory of humans is incapable of remembering more than seven information groups at once.
Short-term memory does not retain information for longer than 30 seconds.

Origin of Miller's Law:

Miller found that increasing the number of chunks of information above this threshold causes confusion and incorrect judgment.
He called this point "channel capacity".

Figure 2.3-2: What You See VS What You Remember

Human brains process only a certain amount of information in any given communication, never to the full extent.

Figure 2.3-3: Miller's Law in UX

Figure 2.3-4: Example of Miller's Law: Netflix

The solution to Miller's Law: Clustering information into smaller chunks.
Purpose of clustering:

To organise information.
To help users process, understand, and memorise information more easily.

2.4 WEEK 4 — MANUEL LIMA'S 9 DIRECTIVES MANIFESTO

MANUEL LIMA'S 9 DIRECTIVES MANIFESTO:

1. Form Follows Function:

Form = The design of a product/service.
Function = The purpose of a product/service. The function should be centred on an explanation.
E.g. A wooden chair:
Data = Components of the chair.
Function = To be able to sit in.
Form does not follow data.
The design (form) of the chair is derived from connecting different components (data) together, but it does not conform to the components.

2. Interactivity is Key:

A design should encourage investigation, analysis, and learning in the user.
The design's layout should lead users to the answers to their questions.

3. Cite Your Source:

Designers should:

Disclose where the data came from.
If possible: Clarify what data was used and how it was extracted.

Purpose/Why:

To avoid misconception.
To bring credibility and integrity to your work.

4. The Power of Narrative:

Designers should: Elaborate information into stories.
A design should be able to convey a message and compelling narrative.
Purpose/Why:

Humans love stories.
Storytelling is a successful way to learn, discover, and spread information.

5. Do Not Glorify Aesthetics:

Aesthetics should be seen as a consequence of a design, but not its goal.

6. Look for Relevancy:

Relevance of a design = What users search for + what users see.
High relevancy → Better comprehension and decision-making.

7. Embrace Time:

Designers should have better time management.💀

8. Aspire for Knowledge:

A design should:

Be able to translate information → knowledge.
Aim to make the information more intelligible and transparent.

9. Avoid Gratuitous Visualisations:

A design should:

☑ Act as a cognitive filter for information.
☑ Clarify the information.
☒ Not add distractions to the information.
☒ Not complicate the information.

3.0 EXERCISE 1 — QUANTIFIABLE INFORMATION

Instructions:

Gather a set of objects, such as Legos, buttons, marbles, rubber bands, coins, M&Ms, etc.
Sort the objects into 2–5 categories, such as colours, shapes, patterns, and other quantifiable factors.
Arrange the objects into a presentable layout or chart.
The information must be presented as is and labelled with relevant indicators.

3.1 WIP

Figure 3.1-1: Buttons & Tea Bag Collection, Week 1 (04/02/25)
If anyone wants to sponsor an album or contribute to my collection, hmu ;)

I chose buttons for this exercise, as I've gathered a wide variety over the years. I considered using my tea bag collection, but there are too many to fit in the canvas.😅

Figure 3.1-2: Sort by Button Type & Material, Week 1 (04/02/25)
*Sidenote: I'm using neutral-coloured paper so that the white buttons are visible. Definitely not because I forgot to lay out regular paper before sorting.

Grouped the buttons by type and material. When Mr Shamsul asked me how I planned on arranging the buttons, my first instinct was to sort them into spirals, because spirals and buttons are circular. However, that came off as very stereotypical, and so I was encouraged to find a more unique arrangement.

While sorting the buttons into bar charts, I realised the gaps between the buttons made the categories look less defined (partially because the A3 paper has limited space), so for my final design, I clumped the buttons together so that the categories were more clear-cut.

Figure 3.1-3: Inspiration & Triangle Infographic (Sort by Button Material), Week 1 (04/02/25)

Inspired by the infographic on the left, I grouped the buttons into triangular piles in descending order. I like that the varying sizes of the triangles create a sense of rhythm.

Figure 3.1-4: Draft #1 & #2, Week 1 (04/02/25)

I imported the final image into Procreate to draft out the text. I chose Draft #1 because the width of the triangles isn't that big and the categories have relatively long names (see: "horn / tortoiseshell" and "mother-of-pearl"), which would make reading difficult for Draft #2.

3.2 FINAL SUBMISSION

Google Drive

Figure 3.2-1: Exercise 1 — Unsorted Buttons (Final Submission), Week 1 (04/02/25)

Figure 3.2-2: Exercise 1 — Sort by Button Type (Final Submission), Week 1 (04/02/25)

Figure 3.2-3: Exercise 1 — Sort by Button Material (Final Submission), Week 1 (04/02/25)

Figure 3.2-4: Exercise 1 — Final Design (Final Submission), Week 1 (04/02/25)

4.0 EXERCISE 2 — LATCH INFOGRAPHIC POSTER

Instructions:

Organise a group of information into a visual poster.
You must utilise at least four LATCH principles.
You can reuse images but have to create the rest of the visuals.
Requirements:

Software: Any digital photo-editing/illustration software.
Size: A4.

4.1 RESEARCH

Figure 4.1-1: Research, Week 2 (12/02/25)

I decided to make a map infographic of my all-time favourite game, Octopath Traveler II. It would function as a summarised guide for the game's story-centric bosses, with the bosses' location, difficulty level, weaknesses, etc.

Figure 4.1-2: Mood Board, Week 2 (13/02/25)

4.2 SKETCHES

Figure 4.2-1: Brown VS Dark Blue/Purple, Week 3 (17/02/25)

I debated between a brown/vintage (Sketch #4) or dark blue/purple (Sketch #5) colour palette for the infographic, as the original game is very warm-toned but later switches to a purplish tone once the player starts the final chapter.

Figure 4.2-2: Sketches, Week 3 (17/02/25)

While sketching, I realised I had too much information to fit into an A4 infographic, so I trimmed it down to the main story bosses and left out the details of the final chapter bosses. I figured most people may not even know about the final chapter bosses as they are optional and would like to see for themselves.

I did some colour exploration and ultimately went with the dark blue/purple colour palette. The dark blue contrasts well with the secondary colours (there are eight main stories in this game; I colour-coded the bosses according to the story they are in so that the map is easier to read).

I like the layout of Sketch #3 and #5, however, I'm worried that there won't be enough space for the text and that the details on the map will be difficult to see in #3. I chose to digitise Sketch #5 for the sake of clarity.

The map is bigger and stretches across the width of the canvas.
The design is symmetrically balanced, however the asymmetrical map breaks up the monotony.

4.3 DIGITISATION

Figure 4.3-1: Map, Week 3 (19/02/25)
Software: Procreate

I recreated the game map based on this interactive fan-made version. I used a textured oil paint brush (main story bosses) and an ink brush (final chapter bosses) to make it seem like the map was drawn on.

Figure 4.3-2: Icons — Boss Weaknesses & Shield Points, Week 3 (19/02/25)
Software: Procreate

I recreated the weaknesses and shield point icons with a slightly tweaked colour scheme that matched the rest of my infographic. I thought of pixelating the icons to match the bitmap look the game had, however decided against it as the icons are already very small.

Figure 4.3-3: Titles, Week 3 (21/02/25)

Title #1 looked great in theory, but once I digitised it, it looked off-putting. I figured the "OCTOPATH TRAVELER II" was too long and put the "II" in a separate row (Title #2). Even worse. Eventually realised the title didn't have to be fancy and complicated and made Title #3.

4.4 FINAL SUBMISSION

Google Drive

Figure 4.4-1: Exercise 2 — Final Design (Final Submission), Week 3 (21/02/24)

5.0 FEEDBACK

5.1 WEEK 1

Specific Feedback:

Mr Shamsul:

@ Spiral infographic idea: Spirals are very common. Consider something outside of the box.
@ Triangle infographic: It's a little random-looking without the labels, but otherwise it's OK.

Mr Fauzi:

@ Triangle infographic: The shapes are interesting and eye-catching. Very good.

5.2 WEEK 3

Specific Feedback (Mr Shamsul):

@ Mood board: Good visual references. Play around with the title to make things interesting.
You can use the same typefaces used in the game for harmony.
Be sure to utilise design principles.
You can add a legend to the bottom of the infographic for the icons.

6.0 REFLECTION

The biggest takeaway from this is learning where to cut down on information. If I could redo Exercise 2, I probably would've focused my infographic on the boss battles of one specific character instead of all eight. Fitting all relevant information into the poster was a tight fit.😅

QUICK LINKS

EXERCISES

PROJECT 1 & 2 — ANIMATED INFOGRAPHIC POSTER

FINAL PROJECT — INFOGRAPHIC VIDEO ANIMATION

Emily Soh Ching-Ling 0359478

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INFORMATION DESIGN | EXERCISES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INSTRUCTIONS

2.0 LECTURES

2.1 WEEK 1 — TYPES OF INFOGRAPHICS

2.2 WEEK 2 — LATCH THEORY

2.3 WEEK 3 — MILLER'S LAW OF MEMORY

2.4 WEEK 4 — MANUEL LIMA'S 9 DIRECTIVES MANIFESTO

3.0 EXERCISE 1 — QUANTIFIABLE INFORMATION

3.1 WIP

3.2 FINAL SUBMISSION

4.0 EXERCISE 2 — LATCH INFOGRAPHIC POSTER

4.1 RESEARCH

4.2 SKETCHES

4.3 DIGITISATION

4.4 FINAL SUBMISSION

5.0 FEEDBACK

5.1 WEEK 1

5.2 WEEK 3

6.0 REFLECTION

QUICK LINKS

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