Information Design Technology

There are many technologies available to communicate a message. In this section we will cover just a few of those starting with printing technology and quickly moving into the emerging digital technologies such as the internet, software, and multimedia.

In this brief introduction it is possible to cover only the most basic information about each of these fields. Each section could easily become a research project within itself if all the information available were included.

Each of these areas have some commonalities. The fundamentals of effective Information Design are translated within the medium in which they appear. In whatever manner a message reaches an individual, the underlying concepts of sending, receiving, and translating that message remain virtually the same.

Current technologies are changing the ways in which people communicate. A few decades ago the internet - and subsequent avenues for communication such as email, instant messaging and blogging - were not available. In some ways these technologies have brought people closer together and yet kept them apart. We may be able to communicate instantly with a friend in another part of the world, but we are also more likely to email a co-worker in the next cubicle rather than take the time to walk over and talk with them. •