Principle of Information Design: Graphic Design

I would say I position myself in the graphic design discipline. This area interests me the most because I am myself, a graphic designer. It always intrigued me how a graphic designer can get the attention of millions with a simple little design. For example, when Steve Jobs passed, there was a Hong Kong student who made a tribute to him.   

(http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/10/us-apple-design-idUSTRE7991PP20111010) It was Apple’s legendary logo and a silhouette of Jobs in the bite. Although it sparked controversy, it was a remembered design around the world. It is things and designs like that, that make me happy I am a graphic designer. This design took the simplification of a logo that was already known, and put the information in it that led us to know what this was about. Jobs’ silhouette was the information being put in because it told us of this tribute to him. In graphic design, there is always information to be looked at. Whether its colors, words, or the graphics itself- it always tells you something. Take Coca Cola and their ads: their graphic designers clearly explain to you what Coca Cola is all by the designs they make. 

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2009/coca-cola-open-happiness/ You can tell what Coke is trying to say just by looking at their ads. They have everything down to the color scheme that draws you in. So for the reasons that graphic design basically uses all principles of design and incorporating information in it, is why I position myself among this principle.

What is information design?

Information design is everywhere. It even lies in the very structure and appearance of this sentence. I always look around to see how my eye can be caught from the colors and textures and shapes of everything around me. The color combinations, and which one leads the eye in first to the sizes and contrasts of everything. Even nature has its own way of showing us information design.

In my eyes information design is just that, no more no less. Its information that is given to you in a design. Whether it is in the form of a pamphlet or a movie poster, so a post card or a car commercial. Even music can be informative in a audio like matter. Information can be anything you can obtain with your senses, whether you hear, smell, taste, touch, or see it.

Information design tells a story. Like a comic strip for instance. It can have colors tell make the strip more intense, pull your eyes into it to make it more fun. You'll want to read it. Or a commercial with a catchy tune, maybe it'll get stuck in your head for the day, but you remember the jingle and maybe even wait for the commercial to come back on!

Information is everywhere, and design is everywhere. Even in that sentence.