Communication and Information Design

Introduction: Why learn about "Communication and Information Design"?

Hello everyone! Starting today, we’re going to dive into "Communication and Information Design."
When you hear the word "design," you might think of drawing pictures or creating stylish posters. However, in Information I, design goes beyond that. It’s like a strategy meeting on "How can I convey information to others accurately and clearly?"
This chapter is crucial as it often appears in the Common Test using familiar, real-world examples. It might feel a bit tricky at first, but we’re just learning the rules behind the smartphones and signs we see every day, so let’s relax and get started!

1. Understanding Communication Styles

We communicate unconsciously every day, but it can actually be categorized into a few types.

(1) Synchronous and Asynchronous

・Synchronous communication: Interacting while sharing the same time with the other person. (e.g., phone calls, face-to-face conversations, real-time chat)
・Asynchronous communication: Interacting whenever you like without sharing time with the other person. (e.g., emails, social media posts, letters)

(2) Individual and Mass Media

・Individual (One-to-One): Communicating with a specific person. (e.g., phone calls, private LINE messages)
・Mass Media (One-to-Many): Communicating to a large, unspecified audience simultaneously. (e.g., TV, radio, newspapers)

【Pro Tip!】
Modern social media is unique because it features interactivity—it can be "one-to-many," but also "one-to-one" through comments. In the Common Test, you'll often be asked about the pros and cons of each medium (e.g., whether it leaves a record or transmits information immediately).

2. Characteristics and Selection of Media

Tools used to convey information are called media. Media has three aspects:

1. Transmission media: Things that carry information (radio waves, fiber optics, air, etc.)
2. Expression media: Things that give form to information (text, audio, images, video, etc.)
3. Storage media: Things that save information (USB drives, hard disks, paper, etc.)

【Did you know?】
Even with the same content, how someone receives it changes depending on whether it's text or video. This is called "media characteristics." It's important to choose the right medium—like using "synchronous" phone calls for urgent business or "expression media" like images for complex diagrams.

3. Basics of Information Design

Organizing information and arranging it clearly according to its purpose is called Information Design. Let's learn two important terms!

(1) UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience)

・UI (User Interface): The "contact point" between a device and a person. (e.g., the shape of buttons on a smartphone screen, menu layout, mouse, etc.)
・UX (User Experience): The "experience or emotion" gained from using that product. (e.g., the feeling that an app runs smoothly and is fun, or that the screen is beautiful and easy to use.)

【Common Mistake!】
Remember: UI is the "look/tool," while UX is the "experience/impression." Think of it as: "Because the UI is good, the result is a great UX!"

(2) Universal Design and Accessibility

・Universal Design: Designing products so that "anyone can use them from the start," regardless of age, nationality, or disability. (e.g., notches on shampoo bottles, ramps, pictograms (icon signs))
・Accessibility: The "degree" to which as many people as possible can use a service. (e.g., screen reader functions for the visually impaired, etc.)

【Memory Trick】
Remember "Universal" (Worldwide) = "Everyone can use it from the start!"

4. Visual Design Techniques

To help people understand information at a glance, you need visual techniques.

(1) Visibility, Legibility, and Discriminability

・Visibility: How easy it is to see at a glance (does it stand out even from a distance?).
・Legibility: How easy the text is to read (can you read it fluently?).
・Discriminability: How easy it is to distinguish from other things (can you tell the difference between "1" and "I"?).

(2) Color Design

Color is a powerful weapon for conveying information. ・Color Universal Design: Considering the diversity of color vision to ensure information is conveyed correctly to people who perceive colors differently (e.g., using specific color combinations or combining colors with shapes or hatching).

【Pro Tip!】
In the Common Test, you'll often see specific examples like "using patterns (dots or slashes) in addition to different colors in a bar graph to accommodate people who have difficulty distinguishing colors!"

5. Data Visualization (Choosing the Right Graph)

Turning numerical values into graphs is called visualization. Choose the best graph for your purpose:

・Bar graph: When you want to compare quantities.
・Line graph: When you want to see changes (trends) over time.
・Pie chart: When you want to see proportions within a whole.
・Scatter plot: When you want to see the correlation between two sets of data.

【Caution!】
Having too many categories in a pie chart or omitting the start of a bar graph axis to make differences look bigger are examples of "inappropriate design." Conveying information accurately is the most important rule of design.

Summary: Reviewing this Chapter

1. Communication includes "Synchronous/Asynchronous" and "Individual/Mass Media."
2. Media has three aspects: "Transmission, Expression, and Storage."
3. UI is the "contact point of the tool," and UX is the "experience of using it."
4. "Universal Design" is about making things easy for everyone to use.
5. Choosing the right graph for your purpose (comparison, trend, proportion) is essential.

Great work! This chapter is easy to review just by observing the smartphone apps and station signs around you. Try spotting things in your daily life, like "Oh, this has high visibility!" or "This is a great example of universal design!" That’s the shortcut to crushing the Common Test!