Module 2 - Information Design Theory

     Information theory. Just the word theory can make some people shudder at any aspect of knowledge or learning. Theory is an idea, a way to explain facts or events. Each person however has their own idea and can interpret facts differently. When discussing information theory there are many types of theories that are used to define the information design field. One particular theory that I found interest in and felt it was the most relevant in today’s society is Sense Making.

  

     Sense making is as simple a term as it sounds; the very definition can be making sense of something. The question is how do we achieve this and in what way is their most beneficial? How does one deem one thing to make more sense over another? The answer lies in each and every person with a brain. 

“Sense Making extracts two assumed mandates for the species: one is to make sense without complete instruction in a reality, which in itself in flux and requires continued sense making; the second is to reach out to the sense made by others, in order to understand what insights it may provide into our continuing human dilemma (Jacobson 45).”

In its simplest form we use our inner intuition and common sense, which we as a human species develop from life experiences, and extract that same intuition and sense from others in order to gain insight or ideas on how to better understand or make sense of something. A perfect example of sense making can be made by something that we may experience every day, Analogies.

     An analogy is a cognitive way of interpreting meaning or information from a particular subject to another. In essence an analogy helps to make sense of an idea by comparing it to something that may be common sense to most. Take for example this analogy from a user on a forum regarding a computer and its hardware (http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1491775.html). This analogy explains in simple sense making terms the intricate parts of a computer, the CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

“A computer is like a kitchen at a restaurant. 

The computer's processor is like a chef, who works to prepare the food. The faster the chef, the faster food is ready. A dual-core processor is like having a kitchen with two chefs, so two things can be prepared at the same time. 

The computer's RAM is like counter-top space. Everything in RAM is easy for the processor to get at, so if you have a lot of counter space, the chef can work on preparing more things at once. If you don't have enough counter space, the chef can't work on as many things. Some programs use a lot of RAM, just like some recipes call for a lot of ingredients, so it is harder to fit more stuff on the counter.  

The computer's hard drive is like the cupboards and refrigerator. These things hold the ingredients until the chef needs them. If space runs out, then the old ingredients need to be thrown out to make room for new ones. 

You, the computer user, are then the customer who is ordering things from the kitchen. If the chef is slow, or there isn't enough counter-top space, it's going to longer for things to get done, especially if you are ordering a lot of things at once.”

     The theory of sense making is alive today in hidden analogies that one might hear every day. This theory of information design in my opinion is the most important and has the most positive results to deliver information effectively. Obviously not everyone may understand analogies or find them useful, but it is my belief that making sense of difficult to understand information using more simplified terms makes the absorption of information that much easier. 

AP

-Jacobson, Robert E. Information Design. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2000. Print.

-http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1491775.html Post by chessnerd