Designing for Understanding within a Context of Rapidly Changing Information

Abstract
This paper reexamines what it means to design information on the fly. Traditionally we assume that “designing on the fly” means focusing on the job in hand and creating a visual message with great speed that meets the client's brief. However, while speed is of concern to information designers, it should not be the primary goal. At the Communication Research Institute of Australia our main concern is to use design to help our member clients communicate in ways that meet both their information needs and the information needs of their public.

The need for speed can conflict with certain critical stages in information design methodology, which should never be neglected—even when we are designing on the fly. What we must speed up in our design process is not the creation of an end product per se, but rather a design process that establishes a good relationship between the client and their public. The end product is a tangible part of this relationship. When information design is seen in this broader context of managing the relationship between an organization and its public, we need to change our focus and spend more time and effort in initial development. If these critical stages are well managed, it can establish the potential for more rapid effective communication over a longer term.

The case study presented in this paper illustrates our role as information designers in building a better relationship between a drug company and its consumers. Our initial exploratory research revealed that consumers of a particular drug were so confused by complex and rapidly updated usage instructions that many were unable to manage taking the drug. Using a “conversational” approach to information design, we researched why users of the drug were having problems understanding compliance information. We suggested that rather than speedily produce yet another ad hoc information product we develop a system of communication which would establish the potential for an ongoing conversation between the company and consumer. The economy of this design process is that we created long-term efficiencies in terms of improved accessibility and understanding of information, provision for the speedy release of future updates and promotion of a positive and ongoing relationship between the drug company and the people who rely on its drugs to stay well.

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This article was first presented as a paper at the international and interdisciplinary symposium Vision Plus 3, July 11, 1997. The conference was sponsored by the International Institute for Information Design (IIID) in co-operation with Fachhochschul-Studiengange-Vorarlberg and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Transport under the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the Angelika-Kauffmann-Saal at Schwarzenberg, Vorarlberg, Austria. To learn more about IIID, visit their site at www.iiid.net.