Why Information Design Is a Form of Rhetoric
This concept map shows why information design is a form of rhetoric and proposes three rhetorical means used in information design. Through the lens of rhetoric, the map also helps us to view the different styles in the field as a continuum formed by balancing the three rhetorical means.
To view the map, click here.
Year
2022
Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Roles
Information Designer
Brief
Student Project. Create a concept map of an aspect of design. The map should clearly communicate the interaction between the “actors” and the main idea of the related design theory text. Represent the concept in the form of a poster.
Read on for more information about the design process.
Ideas & Iterations
Iteration #1
The first draft is considered to be a mood board; it lists all the keywords from readings and illustrates the relationships and interactions between them using nodes and links.
At this phase, no visual style, layout, and typography was introduced yet.
Iteration #1
Iteration #2
Here, the interactions between different readings and theories were developed. The content was refined and confirmed. A triangle shape commonly drawn from three different theories in the map was identified as a thematic visual element. The triangle became the focal point of a visual design strategy.
Iteration #2
Iteration #3
The focus was shifted from content to visual part of the map at this phase. As the thematic visual element, triangles were placed in the map center and front. The triangles also serve as visual appeal to attract readers.
Color and size of texts was used to create visual hierarchy and highlight major concepts and key words. The final version of the map only made some adjustments on this basis.
Iteration #3
