Making Sense of Field Research: A Practical Guide for Information Designers

Field research is a crucial component of information design to gain insights into the needs and behaviors of the target audience. This book provides practical instructions for planning, designing, and conducting field studies, with a focus on information design problems. It includes over 80 illustrations and five real-world case studies to demonstrate key principles and methods.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 23 July 2018
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Information design is a practice that aims to make complex data and information understandable for a specific audience. However, it is often overlooked that understanding the audience themselves is crucial in the information design process. Instead of relying on intuition or assumptions, information designers need evidence gathered from real people about how they think, feel, and behave in order to create effective solutions. Field research is a valuable tool that can help information designers achieve this goal.

If you are unsure about field research and how it might fit into a project, this book is for you. It provides practical, easy-to-follow instructions for planning, designing, and conducting a field study, as well as guidance for making sense of field data and translating findings into action. The selection of established methods and techniques, drawn from social sciences, anthropology, and participatory design, is specifically geared toward information design problems. Over 80 illustrations and five real-world case studies bring key principles and methods of field research to life.

Whether you are designing a family of icons or a large-scale signage system, an instruction manual or an interactive data visualization, this book will guide you through the necessary steps to ensure you are meeting people's needs. By using field research, information designers can gain a deeper understanding of their audience and create solutions that are more effective, user-friendly, and meaningful. This approach not only improves the quality of information design but also contributes to a more inclusive and equitable society.

Weight: 436g
Dimension: 155 x 233 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780415790031