Sheridan McCarthy

Support good writing with good information design.

It’s a testament to the information overload we all experience that a new discipline called Information Design has emerged. Information designers strive to present text in a clear, accessible, and efficient fashion so that readers can quickly orient themselves and get to the point of a piece of writing—get in, find their way around, get what they need, and get out. Information Design involves graphic design, linguistics, typography, the psychology of learning, and an array of other disciplines. At its simplest, however, you can think of it as the point where language and graphic design meet.

To get your message out into the fray with the best chance to make an impression, consider a basic tool of the Information Designer: emphasis. Decide which phrases or sentences are most important, and use simple design elements to make them “pop.” You can do this using bullet points, indents, color, a different typeface, or a sidebar. Be sure to choose the minimum number of elements to do the job; clutter de-emphasizes text. Thoughtful emphasis will ensure that your audience catches the high points, and it may induce them to read on.

Sheridan McCarthy is President of Meadowlark Communications, Inc., which creates many of CAMEO's publications. She can be reached at sheridan@larkonline.net or
(541) 602-1470.