Information Architects

by Richard Saul Wurman, Peter Bradford (Editor)

There is a tsunami of data that is crashing onto the beaches of the civilized world. This is a tidal wave of unrelated, growing data formed in bits and bytes, coming in an unorganized, uncontrolled, incoherent cacophony of foam. None of it is easily related, none of it comes with any organization methodology.
Now for the good There is a dune on the beach. There is a breakwater in the ocean that is clearly emerging in these last fleeting moments of the 20th century. The breakwater is indeed breaking up the tsunami of data and focusing it in a more organized way to answer our questions and concerns. There is a new breed of graphic designers, exhibition designers, illustrators and photographers, whose passion it is to make the complex clear. I call this new breed of talented thinkers Information Architects and this book was created to help celebrate and understand the importance of their work - a work which inspires hope that as we expand our capabilities to inform and communicate that we will value, with equal enthusiasm, the design of understanding.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art Design

Hardcover

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book with tons of great examples of explanations and explanations of explanations.

On the "tsunami of data":

There is a tsunami of data that is crashing into the beaches of the civilized world. This is a tidal wave of unrelated, growing data formed in bits and bytes, coming in an unorganized, incoherent cacophony of foam. None of it is easily related, none of it comes with a any organisation methodology. […] Now for the good news. There is a dune on the beach. There is a breakwater in the ocean that is clearly emerging in these last fleeting moments of the 20th century. The breakwater is indeed breaking up the tsunami of data and focusing it in a more organized way to answer our questions and concerns.

On the role of the information architect:

The designer is not involved in the use, organization, or understanding of the instructions, except tangentially making it easy to read. […] Nowhere are any of these designers used in the fundamental sense of creating meaning or understanding. That's why I've chosen to call myself an Information Architect. […] I mean architect as in the creating of systemic, structural, and orderly principles to make something work—the thoughtful making of either artifact, idea, or policy that informs because it is clear.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book. revolutionary at that time.

[Neil Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very out of date. Some of the web design stuff is hilariously nostalgic.