InfoD: Information architects / TEDX

[Richard Saul Wurman]

   * Information architects / TEDX *

     message by:  Richard Saul Wurman


Yuri asked:

> One of the issues that came up during the Vision Plus 4 conference 
> concerned the term 'information designer' versus the term 
> 'information architect'.  What is your opinion on this?

I selected the term information 'architect' rather than information 
'designer' as the term 'designer' continues to be interpreted by the 
public as an individual who is hired to come in after the fact to 
make some project 'look beter' - as opposed to a professional part 
of the initial team creatively solving a problem.

I do not believe I can change this popular preconception.  I believe 
the term information architect evokes a rigor in the creation, 
research, choice as well as the presentation of information in 
an understandable yet artful form.  As you know, many extremely 
creative individuals are now calling themselves information 
architects.  This concept was introduced in 1976 when I was national 
chairman of AIA's annual convention whose theme was the Architecture 
of Information.

[Moderator's comment:  I've tried looking up the history of the term 
'information design'.  See below, at the end of this message.]


Concerning Vision Plus 4:

I am sorry that I was not asked to present at Vision Plus 4 - I had 
wanted as you know to announce the major initiative event for the
tenth TED Conference (February 2000).  

TEDX will involve twelve of the finest information architects 
(Clement Mok, Nancye Green, Michael Donovan, Kit Hinrichs, Ken 
Carbone, Krzysztof Lenk, Paul Kahn, Joel Katz, Ramana Rao, Michael 
Bierut, Don Moyer, Reed Agnew, Tibor Kalman, Robert Greenberg, and 
others).  They will be making ten issues that face America & the 
world (education, health care, ecology, global economy, ... etc.) 
clear in maps, charts, graphs, and words - a gigantic celebration 
of understanding.  

Here is the plan:

1) The TEDX Conference is in Monterey 23-26 February 2000.  The 
   three days will consist of presentations by experts, journalists, 
   information architects, entertainers, comedians & satirists who 
   will address the understanding of ten issues & 100 questions 
   through conversations, entertainment, graphics & films.

2) The persuasive use of the graphs, charts, maps & graphics in 
   other publications & on various products developed by America's 
   greatest information architects. 

3) A special section of an issue of FORTUNE to be developed & 
   published in February 2000 will focus on these 100 questions.

4) A series of 100 television spots of single questions & answers &
   extraordinary graphics.

5) A series of ten half hour specials each addressing one of the 
   issues & ten of these questions is in discussion.

6) Teleconferencing to ten locations throughout the United States 
   and highlights delivered on C-Span.

In order to accomplish this, ten information architects will each 
adopt one of these issues to be fed data & information to develop 
the appropriate  maps, charts, graphics, CD ROMs & QuickTime movies, 
etc.  These will be used at TEDX, in FORTUNE, on television & in 
newspapers.

A pity this couldn't be included in Pittsburgh - ask Larry Keeley 
about the power of TED to announce and combine ideas.

Richard Saul Wurman
http://www.ted.com

____________________________________________________________________

Moderator's comment concerning the terminology issue:

It looks like the term 'information design' can be traced back to 
the end of the 70's.  Here is what I found:

Robin Kinross (InfoDesign mailing list, 1996):

> This is very vague - probably Rob and others can correct it - but 
> I have the idea that 'information design', as a term and an idea, 
> did get crystallized quite concretely with IDJ [Information Design
> Journal, 1979]. ...

Rob Waller (Annual Report of the IDA, 1996):

> The origins of the term 'information design' are somewhat hazy -- 
> Bryan Smith (my co-editor for the first few issues [of the 
> Information Design Journal]) and I tossed a number of terms about 
> before settling on this, but  whether it was original or not I 
> can't say. I think we probably thought it was, although at about 
> the same time Pentagram, the design firm, published a book of 
> their work in which the graphic work was grouped together in 
> a chapter entitled 'Information Design'.
>
> Certainly we had a distinctive meaning for it -- to apply 
> processes of design (that is, planning) to the communication 
> of information (its content and language as well as its form). 
> It was intended to be a counterpoint to the corporate identity 
> and glitzy graphics that seemed to take over graphic design in 
> the 80s. ...

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     InfoDesign moderator:  Yuri Engelhardt <yuri@wins.uva.nl>
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