MODULE INFORMATION DESIGN: Exercises
MODULE GCD60504: Information Design Exercises I & II
Tristan Vaughan Sleep - 0365120
Information Design - 2025 / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Exercises I & II: Quantifiable Information & L.A.T.C.H
MODULE INSTRUCTIONS:
“UPDATED FEB 2025: GCD60504 / INFORMATION DESIGN MODULE INFORMATION BOOKLET”
Module Exercises: Quantifiable Information & L.A.T.C.H (Weighted 10% + 10%)
Quantifiable Information: Students of the cohort are required to collect a series of particular objects with said objects needing to be similar enough in comparison to be grouped yet different enough to be categorised; to be used in a visual information break-down. With the objects, students are to experiment with methods to separate said objects into smaller categories as well as finding creative ways to visualise this data. Once completed, students are to photograph the end result and publish their works to their working e-portfolios.
LATCH Information Visualiser: Students of the cohort will be provided with an arrangement of information in which the students will need to separate and break down into individual points. Said points are to be broken down according to the LATCH principles and are to be arranged into an individually designed poster. Students are encouraged to experiment with layouts and information visualisation. Once completed, students are to take the end result and publish their works to their working e-portfolios.
PARTICIPATED LECTURES:
WEEK I: Exercise I - Quantifiable Information
Introduction to the Course: For this short semester, students were offered the module of Information Design which focuses on the visual presentation of information and how to convey specific messages about said information. While this work is comparable to more conventional Infographics and data boards, this module also explores the arrangement of information and which models are the best to explain a data set. To further introduce the students to the module, the lecturers decided to open the module with a simple exercise of taking a small and simple data sample of everyday objects, and categorising them based on their attributes.
As previously outlined, for this exercise we were asked to bring a series of quantifiable items which we would be able to categorise in a more presentable layout or chart design. For this task, I decided to bring my loose change in the form of coins which I’d collected over the past few months. When looking at how to sort them, the immediate first thought would be based on their value which is how they are normally categorised. It was also possible to further expand this concept as I also had coins from other countries as well such as Australia and South Korea - making a new method of sorting. Other methods of organising were considered such as sizes or colours which were quickly abandoned due to very uninteresting sampling sizes. In addition, it seemed better to outline the core design of coins which is their inherent value.
“Collection of Coins used in the Exercise - Raw Data (Left), & Sorted/Arranged (Right)”
With data collected and properly organised, I would be able to begin the more important part of the module which is the visual presentation of the data and how to make it more appealing. From the lecturer’s point of view, they believe it best be achieved by ‘telling a story’ about data; not only giving the numbers but also capturing its importance. In the case of the coins, this is best explained in their value and what they can realistically buy you around the world. With this rough narrative in mind, I was able to create the following rough ideas:
“Leading Concept Ideas for the exercise”
By looking at how much money I effectively had in coins, I found an interesting through line where all of them (Malaysian Sen, Korean Won, Australian Cents) could buy me a drink from their respective countries which was something I wanted to focus on. As for the two leading ideas for the presentation, the ideas were to visualise the coins in A) the shape of their countries with accompanying iconography and purchasable products or B) a stylised bar graph which explained the information effectively. Idea B was ultimately picked due to its simple design which is more effective than an overly designed piece which takes the reader a moment to decipher.
“Final Idea”
I decided to go with buttons. I started by sorting them based on their colors and then arranged them in order of their quantity on the A4 paper.
PARTICIPATED LECTURES: EXERCISE II
WEEK II: Exercise II - L.A.T.C.H
Introduction to Exercise II: In the following exercise, students have been asked to select a topic of their interest and find a method to organise a group of the information into a visual poster/infographic. This design is required to utilise and combine at minimum, four methods described in the LATCH Principles (Location, Alphabet, Time, Category, and Hierarchy.) Students are required to employ the use of either/both digital photo editing or illustration softwares to assemble their information into a finalised LATCH infographic poster. While students are allowed to reuse the back of the images, they are still expected to create the remainder of the visual design.
Understanding LATCH: Before being able to begin making designs and choosing a topic, it is recommended to first get a better understanding for the LATCH Principles and then begin applying them to an idea for a topic you may have:
LOCATION: Refers to the technique of organising information based on its geographic or spatial location. This principle is mainly used when a physical place or its proximity to others is relevant/important. This mainly appears in the forms of maps or directories.
ALPHABET: Refers to the technique of arranging information based on its alphabetical order (also refers to numerical order.) This principle is mainly used when information is dense with names, titles or key references. This mainly appears in the forms of Dictionaries or index lists.
TIME: Refers to the technique of sequencing information based on their chronological order or event in which they happen. This principle is mainly used when detailing events or longer processes which happen across a set time-period. This mainly appears in the form of Timelines or Historical Records.
CATEGORY: Refers to the technique of organising information based on their type or similarity with one another. This principle is mainly used to cluster related items or themes - making information more accessible. This mainly appears in classification systems or product categories.
HIERARCHY: Refers to the technique of organising information based on their order of importances or attributes such as size or ranking criteria. This principle is mainly used to highlight the most important elements in a data set. This mainly appears in Rank tables or Organisational Charts.
“Sample Ideas found During Investigation”
With a more complete understanding of the LATCH Principles and how they often appear in the media, I could more easily adapt them to a topic which I prefer. It is important to note however, while the information does fit correctly, I need to find an effective way to combine multiple principles together - preferably with a shared subject matter from the topic. From this project, I was considering basing my work on the media “Pokemon - Evolutionary tree of Eevees.” “Sekrio - Map, items and Progression” and, “Sifu - Story Progression & skills + Dragon Statues.” This is what I was able to come up with during the thought process.
Idea Concept I - Pokemon Eeveelutions:
For this first Idea, I thought it would be interesting to pick the pokemon with the most side evolutions which dramatically changes its performance in their respective games. The leading idea would be to display a respectable amount of information about each pokemon (their generation, statistics and ranges) as well as the steps of evolving them + their rankings in competitive play.
“Sample Ideas found During Investigation”
Idea Concept I - Sifu Story Progression:
For the second Idea, I believed it would be interesting to visualise the progression the player can take in the game Sifu. The leading idea was mainly based on the in-game level selection which is represented by districts within a city - progressing from left-to-right. In addition to this, it would also be able to be expanded upon by informing the audience of possible collectible or levelling requirements within the level as well as showing which each special enemy is introduced into the game.
“Sample Ideas found During Investigation”
Finalised Concept:
With both Ideas explored, I thought it would be the best (effective and easiest) to continue exploring the Pokemon concept. Not only does this idea have a good bit of material I can reference when working, each of the LATCH principles can clearly be seen in the Pokemon series. The next important thing is to adapt the designs to a final work.
“Final Infographic design + Breakdown”
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