Information Design Theory

1. Information Design Theory Philip Duchastel TeleEducation NB New Brunswick, Canada philip.duchastel@gnb.ca www.duchastel.com/~pcd/ida IDT Information Design Theory

2. What is Information Design? • In the narrow sense… • Crafting web pages & displays • Usability – Nielsen www.useit.com • Communicating –Tufte http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/courses • Information Mapping – Horne • http://www.infomap.com/im_aboutus/method/aboutus_method.htmhttp://www.infomap.com/im_aboutus/method/aboutus_method.htm • In the theoretical sense • Creating information for knowledge Information Design Theory

3. ID? Information Design • The technology for structuringinformation in artefacts … for availability and optimal usability • IDT … theoretical perspective • Up from craft and technology • Not Shannon’s information theory • Communication, cognition... Information Design Theory

4. Topics of Discussion • What about traditional ID? • What is information? • Knowledge and relations • E-learning and KM • Wildies Ideas on the edge Philo Information Design Theory

5. Instructional Design? Information Design Museum Design Event Design Book Design Instructional Design Web Design Designing information for optimal learning Interaction design ? Information Design Theory

6. Information? Context Complexity Nathan Shedroff 8:15 departure Einstein as creator of theory of relativity Theory of evolution Buddha’s Middle Way http://www.nathan.com/thoughts/unified/3.html Information Design Theory

7. Yup… • "Perhaps we should not worry so much about proper word use, and accept the fact that information has become an all-purpose weasel-word" - Fritz Machlup • IT – mostly DT • Artificial and Natural ??? Information Design Theory

8. Aspects of Information • State of mind 14159265 • In-form …infusion of form • Models of change … activity • Condense and abstract Information Design Theory

9. Relations • Information / Knowledge • Knowledge to Knowledge • Cognition • The falling tree • Communication • The functional approach • Interfacing • The steering wheel Information Design Theory

10. Practical Reality • E-Learning • Formal to on-demand • To learning objects • Knowledge Management • Access to intellectual assets Information Design Theory

11. Future Reality • Digitization of the world • Modeling …science as model • Matrix …Snow Crash • Storage revolution • Cognitive processes • Knowledge Age Interacting more with information …than with the world around us? Information Design Theory

12. Real Life • Music on the fly …but what is a symphony? Is a Picasso information? • Life as love … the meaning of life? • From cutting trees to advising investors …the knowledge society Information Design Theory

13. Emerging Realms • Physical …from the Bing Bang • Biological …life • Mental …consciousness • Virtual …augmented realities • Informational …unbounded processing Universe Information Design Theory

14. IDT - Interesting, but?... • Education • Bereiter’s knowledge building • Public Health • Sex education • War • Goebel’s machine Information does not replace policy …it informs it Information Design Theory

15. Where to? • Life as interacting with information • Kurzweil’s ‘singularity’ • Autonomous processing ?!!! • Hegel‘s Geist • The next lion king? • And wisdom? • A humanitarian perspective Progress Information Design Theory

16. IDT • Just as we learned how to deal with predators and how to build space ships …so too we must learn how to build information • There is more to the knowledge society than making broadband available to all • KnoWCA IDT Information Design Theory

17. A whole world… • Further personal thoughts • Learnability • Knowledge Interfacing • Virtuality • Evolutionary Cognition • Thank you for listening …now for your ideas Information Design Theory