Information Design

On this show the fellows were joined by Dr. Rick Kopak from iSchool at the University of British of Columbia. There he researches information design and human computer interaction. Paul & Chris get schooled on the interesting concepts behind information design and how much the field is changing thanks to all our handheld digital devices.

An example of structuring information might be Hypertext.
Making information more useful might be as simple as laying it out with CSS, adding interactivity with JavaScript or perhaps ratings, a comment system or a way to monitor social capital.
Schemas are at the core of information design. From there designers can create Personas and shape the information presented in a document to make it more usable.
Rick is currently researching On The Measurability of Information Quality.
Paul & Rick reminisce about HyperCard, an Apple app that predates the World Wide Web.
Project Xanadu was the first hypertext project started in 1960 and continued development even after the creation & adoption of the World Wide Web.
iOS Design Guidelines create consistency in the way information is presented and may be responsible for their popularity.
Flat vs. Realism, an interactive exploration of digital design.
We discuss the complexity & expectations of Facebook vs. the simplicity of Twitter.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is often used in business & academic worlds.
The perils of social networks, How I Became Amazon’s Pitchman For a 55-Gallon Drum of Personal Lubricant on Facebook.
The blue light from your digital devices may affect your sleep. In fact, there’s loads of information on getting a good night’s sleep. Rick is curious to try some amber glasses to block the blue light.
Is the Jawbone collecting useful data or just a nag? Depends on your personality.

Thanks to Rick for sharing his time and knowledge with us all. He’ll be back in the final show of next season to talk fiction and audio books.

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