In this seminar we looked at information graphics and how to communicate data or information in a simple and effective way. We looked at some examples of this, such as Harry Beck, who created a simple map that contains a lot of information (The London Underground map). As a graphic designer, we have to observe a problem, such as creating an easy to follow map of a lot of places, and solve it. Harry Beck did this in an iconic way. This is an impersonal way of representing information.
Simon Patterson created a map following the style of Harry Beck called, 'The Great Bear'. Instead of using actual places, he mapped names and the map represented things in his life. This is a more personal way of representing information and proves that emotion, relationships and opinions can be displayed in a minimal way.
We looked at different examples of this way of mapping information from students. One example displayed the relationship someone had with the people in their life. Each line represented a person and the lines went up and down, depending on the quality of the relationship. Some lines abruptly stopped which represented a friend or relative dying. This is an emotional way of mapping feelings and opinions and demonstrates that something as simple as a line can portray a deep meaning.
We were invited to create our own map of information and I chose to do mine based on my achievement in education. This was a hard concept to do but felt I would do the most critical achievements in my life as learning the alphabet does not compare with completing my A levels.
Obviously, the graph isn't 100% accurate as I had to go from memory and also guessed some of the graph. The most recent ones are the ones I focused more on as I can remember it clearly. It goes off effort and how well I am doing. This was hard to portray in nursery and primary school as there isn't as much of a track of how well you're doing.
The task was helpful as I learnt how simply you can reflect a time period, relationship, feeling or lifetime. Also I had to consider which was the clearest and most pleasing way to create the information graphic and the result was interesting. It would have been better to choose a simpler concept or one that could be easily recalled and recorded. Overall, I enjoyed the task and learnt about cohesively displaying, sometimes complicated, information.
