Empire State Plaza

I decided to create my analysis around my work place. I work at the Empire State Plaza, or as it is sometimes known as ESP, the Capital Concourse, or just the plain “Concourse”. The area is an underground maze of corridors and tunnels to the unsuspecting. I am always helping the glossy eyed wanders find there way through this disaster of a design. 

The concourse connects the NYS Museum to the Executive Chamber, yes the Governors Executive Chambers. The concourse also connects the Legislative office building to the Empire State Convention center, sometimes referred to as the egg. While these buildings all exist above ground, the underground is what seems to the outsider, to be a maze.

Upon entering the concourse through many swinging and revolving brass framed doors:

You are greeted by granite and marble lined corridors that seem to stretch as far as the eye can see:

In the event you do not know where you are going can you identify the signage placed conveniently to guide you to your destination?

You will notice there is a square or cube like objects hanging from the ceiling in what looks to be far from where I am standing. In fact it is completely on the other side of the space I am standing in. There is no indication that I am going to find my way from that cube in the sky.  Our reading informed us that Information design is a field and approach to designing clear, understandable communications and that it is primarily concerned with clarity and understanding. Now upon entering the concourse the clarity and understanding of “where am I” in my opinion goes right out the doors I just came in. We also read that in a busy corridor people typically scan a setting by glancing at particular fixation points for less than two-tenths of a second.

As you can see the signs are a chocolate brown with white text and arrows. There is no color coding throughout the concourse. The feeling for the signage is governmental plain on a budget design. Below is an overhead sign found in the middle of the corridor, almost the convergence of all corridors?

These are the other way finding points within the concourse:

These examples paint a perspective that only a camera lens can offer, I used a wide angle lens to showcase more of the surroundings than just the signage. However, the point remains that the signage is in my opinion poor for the occasional tourist or just lost soul who should meander into the concourse. For all it is worth my Grandfather helped build this place in the 60’s, this my friends is 60’s era way finding at its finest. I wish for the sake of the state, there is some money invested into the concourse for some redesign of the way finding points to include color coded corridors and proper common symbols for the public transportation.

Below are the best references of proper information design found within the concourse.

QR'n

Matrix Bar codes, or sometimes referred to QR (Quick Response) codes were initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR codes are now being used in a much broader context. Walk around New York city and one may find them in department store windows. Aimed at mobile phone users (also known as mobile tagging). QR codes can be used to display text to the user,the text can be a URL, just a text message or may give out a phone number.

So why go through the trouble of creating a 2 dimensional QR code for a blog site. Simply put the concept can be applied to your blog to promote something in a special way. Not everyone is going to understand the QR code, therefore the information can be delivered to only some of your readers. Maybe you want it that way, personally it is a hot new concept, a new method of delivering information that makes the user search for the message instead of the message just coming out and saying " hey, here is my message". I know there is probably not going to be a big demand for this code within blog sites, but depending on the blog, and the blogger the coded message might be an innovative way to deliver services or discounts to services.
I have incorporated the QR into my blog with a message to gather more information on my class subject. I feel viewers will visit the blog and see the qr code, see the title of "Scan Me" and either research the item or move on to the next blog. Either way I like the concept and feel it is a great way to deliver information.

Tweet Me.

What do Lady Gaga and Barack Obama have in common; they each have over 7 million followers in Twitter. Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schroot), 2 million followers. So what is this phenomenon known as Twitter? Well if you are not living under a rock then you would know the social networking tool known as Twitter is an outlet for a user to let you know, well, anything they want really. By becoming a follower of said user you will then receive updates as to what this user is doing, thinking and or wanting you to know.

Dubbed “A source of breaking news and rumors” Twitter was launched in 2006 and since has gained much popularity, it is estimated there are over 170 million users. That is 170,000,000 users speaking their minds, sending updates on important topics instantly.

One feature becoming very popular on websites and, blogger sites is a small appliance utilizing Twitter. The “twitter feed gadgets” can be set up on your web-page with some simple code and configured to display twitter feeds or what are simply known as tweets.  The concepts behind this feature are simple, select some keywords for search parameters and in turn the gadget displays what the social network is talking about as it pertains to that topic. Essentially this tool becomes a conduit for displaying the information you would like to broadcast. I have incorporated this tool into my blog with a few key words, Graphic design and Information design.

The social networking concept will be with us for awhile, and we are in the midst of a want it now society and this is true with information. Do you want to know the association between the African Blue Dual Coned Picklelittle to the rain forests of Nigeria, guaranteed somewhere there is someone tweeting about just that very topic. Information travels at light speeds now thanks to the internet, and Twitter has taken advantage of that. Also by incorporating mobile applications into their services, information dissemination may occur on the fly versus having to wait until one is behind the computer.

So the conclusion, Twitter is designed to get information out there quickly, whether informative in nature or just a person’s sharing of thoughts the purpose is the same. Get you the information you want, NOW!

The interface of interpretation.

In our content guide in module 3, we read about web typeography. Within these articles what I found most interesting and really have never even considered was “using text as an interface”. One example of good interface techniques given was the on the website Subtraction.com, within this site there are many examples of user interaction within the text. My interpretation of interface is interaction of course. Merriam Webster defines interface as “the means by which interaction or communication is achieved at an interface”.  Within the site Subtraction.com there are many keywords that are able to be clicked and take the reader to a keyword topic page. This feature is a great feature, often seen these days on websites and referred to by some as keywords.

In web design I think it is especially true not only to have fonts that are appealing and easily readable, but the ability to capture and involve the reader’s attention. “95% of the information on the web is written language.” WC3 or the World Wide Web consortium posted some advice on fonts indicating some proper techniques. We read also in the article, “Typography has one plain duty before it and that is to convey information in writing. No argument or consideration can absolve typography from this duty." (Reichenstein, 2006). That information being conveyed will have a stronger impression by having some interaction associated with it.

When I originally began this blog it is clear my posts were basic text only posts with no interaction at all, I will not retrace steps and place some interface objects within, instead I will work forward and begin with this post and enable my reader some interaction within. I will state that I have made adjustments to my post, font changes to be specific. I have toned down considerably the font choices, what I may have found as attractive was after my readings, clearly not sending the message of being clear and easily readable. I have reduced text sizes, made color changes and otherwise made this page a little more eye appealing and readable. Let me know your thoughts if you are following me. Thank you.

Theory

My interests reside in graphic arts and website design; these two practices seem to go hand in hand. Sensorial Design or communication through the senses plays an intricate role behind the development of a website and the graphic’s found within. I have only been working in this area for a year and a half and I am taking this class to better my skills and understanding of information design. The theory of communicating through the senses is positively in line with this profession. When I am creating a graphic for a page the elements behind that graphic are many. I have however never considered the work I am producing as purposely stimulating the senses (Jacobson). I have always produced graphics that have appealed to me, that have always been the translation of my interpretation. It is very difficult sometimes to take a message and convey that message’s meaning so that it is interpreted by everyone in the same way. My work has been up to this date been primarily visual senses related, a little auditory here and there.

My readings of the Sensorial Design theory were educational, from Jacobson’s comments such as all sensorial details must be coordinated, to the concluding paragraph in chapter eleven, this is not a conclusion as much as it is a beginning. We all read information design and interaction design are new disciplines and the knowledge about these subjects I feel will vary from designer to designer. The scope of these disciplines is broad, while some of us choose print and others electronic the fundamentals are closely related yet our experiences will be very different.

I short, I am eager to learn more and experience my trials and errors.

What is Information Design

I am taking this class because I am very interested in the presentation of data. How is information conveyed to an intended audience. I feel information design is the elements of gathering data and then presenting that data. I think by nature the first thought about information design is databases, right. Gather the data and then arrange the data in a manner that will allow easy access.
I am probably on the right track and as we read more, learn and communicate my answer to this question will be a little more indepth.

My first test post