1:1: Information Design in Technical Communication
Up one levelIf the field of technical communication is no longer solely concerned with technical writing, then the field needs a term to describe what it is that we do. 'Design,' with variants such as 'document design' and 'information design' have emerged in recent years as a more inclusive term for the aspects of tech comm which complement writing and editing. This issue discusses several topics surrounding information design in technical communication.
- Aesthetic Experience and the Importance of Visual Composition in Information Design
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Tim Greenzweig
Usability engineering has taken a functional approach to technical communication and information design. However, the need for further discourse concerning the impact of aesthetics on the usability of information design can begin by developing a mature understanding of the compositional structure of visual information. This article looks at the ways in which visual composition contributes to a user's aesthetic experience and why such an experience is important when designing infromation structures. - Designing for Advanced Users
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Andrew Hinkelman
Much discussion in web usability in recent years has revolved around designing web sites which are intended to be easily accessible by even the least technologically advanced user. This attempt to attract the highest number of visitors is especially appropriate for promoting and selling goods and services. The inexperienced user unaccustomed to reading text displayed on monitors and unable to efficiently download multimedia files should not be alienated by highly detailed or stylized web writing or a lack of bandwidth. Yet, there are more-advanced users on the web that designers should consider when appropriate. - Planning a Web Project
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Amy Kerr
One of the most important aspects of information design is the planning process. Unfortunately, the planning process is one of the first items to get cut when schedules are tight. Projects that have skipped this step often suffer from problems that are difficult to fix once the site has been developed. For example, sites that have not been planned in advance often contain information that was added randomly and inconsistently, related topics don't link to one another, and readers have a frustrating experience navigating the site. - Streaming Media: 1
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Tim Dereg
Streaming media is a method for delivering multimedia content, where video, audio, graphics, and animation can all play simultaneous roles in the presentation. This article gives a brief overview of streaming media technologies.