Module 6, Parking

When pondering what to do this Module's assignment on I thought about how frequently visitors get lost and confused in our building's parking garage.  I decided to take an "old" look at the garage and all of the signage that is present.  As I was on foot with my camera in hand, I was pleasantly surprised that there is new signage up all throughout the garage which makes for a much better experience.  Ironically however, there was a gentleman who was quite lost and confused and I was able to assist him at this time!

When entering the garage via your vehicle, you proceed to to an automatic station which gives you a ticket.  This ticket determines the cost of your stay.  The ticket only has the printed time on it.  You proceed down to the garage and there are overhanging signs to give you some better direction:

The one big issue that I find here is that weekend and evening visitors are mostly here to attend events at the Verizon Center and there is nothing in the signage addressing that customer.

There are two buildings within AARP itself and a third building that exits to a different building name Terrell, you can see these mentioned in the signs.  They are also etched in the glass doors when getting to the elevators. 

 In addition to the buildings there are 4 levels of parking in this one garage, the levels are also colored coded and labeled with letters.  Most of the photos show orange paint which represents C level parking.

There is also very clear signage on the walls to get to the stairways.

The new maps that have been installed at every door way are great wayfinding instruments for those entering or leaving the buildings.  They also provide a color coded map of the three buildings and show where you are when entering the elevators.

Confusion can again occur with the sporadic numbering of parking spaces.  There are a limited number of spaces that are numbered and the remaining are not so this is an area where improvement to their information design can be made.  You can see parking space labeled on poll but not in the center spot.  There are also several spots that have no numbering whatsover if not located on the wall.

The worst signage and experience for visitors parking here is the payment option.  There is a sign on the door photo above that says "Take Your Ticket With You", however, there is no signage on where you can pay for your parking.  You actually have to drive up to the B level and park then exit your vehicle and pay.  The first photo shows how you do not even have a view to the machine when driving, and if you do not notice the sign overhanging you will miss the payment station altogether.

The payment machine itself is very informative and user friendly:
 

Overall, the parking garage has improved tremendously in the past 6 months and I was not even aware of it until venturing on this project.  Jacobson discusses this under concepts of information, "information describes an ordered reality but can be "found" only by htose with the proper observing skills..."   I am really not sure exactly when most of these changes were implemented because I no longer needed to observe this information.  However, I realize now that there is still a lot room for improvement as mentioned in this blog.

Module 5 More Blog Tools

There are two features of concept maps that are important:  the hierarchical structure that is represented in a good map; and the ability to search for and characterize cross-links.

In a concept map the concepts should be represented in a hierarchical fashion with the general concepts at the top of the map then leading to more specific ones as you move down. 

 It seems that the best way to begin your concept map is with reference to a question you want to answer or a situation you are trying to understand.

The cross links are relationships between concepts in different sections of the concept map. Cross-links help us to see how some sections represented on the map are related to another section.

Additionally another feature that can help on concept maps are specific examples or actual imaegs of events or objects that help to clarify the meaning of a given concept.

Reference:  http://www.vickiblackwell.com/inspiration.html

Blog Tools

There are so many amazing free tools available now for enhancing presentations. While researching for this week's blog I came across many exciting tools.  One tool in particular that I found encompassed many tools into one beta site.  It is currently free because it is an IBM prototype called Many Eyes.  This is a site that allows you to upload your data and create a visual image of your choice.  You can test out many different options to see which fits your information the best.  It provides many options from word clouds, to graphs, pie charts and more.  This site is so simple to use.  The only issue I ran into was trying to get the image to dislay directly here. 

I used some generic data about marathons to create this image:

http://www-958.ibm.com/me/visualizations/48af9a48942f11e29827000255111976

There were many choices for creating images and the examples they displayed were great additions to presentation and getting information to people in a more exciting way.  I have never considered myself visual or artistic and yet I now realize that I am capable creating amazing graphics and designs by being a little creative.  This is an exciting field that will make presentations interesting and engaging.  It is amazing to see how fast technology is changing the things we do.

Module 3: Information Design: Process

The process of information design begins with gathering essential information upfront in order to create a successful deliverable and to save both you and your client time.  The more information you have up front the smoother the project goes, which also allows for a strong client relationship to help as you are working with them.

Once this is done you need to begin with a thorough analysis of the entire project and what it entails.  This will require following specific steps from start to finish in order to deliver exactly what is expected.
As you are having these conversations, you need to be sure you are getting all of the specifics for the project, what is expected, when it is expected and how they expect you to deliver the project.  Who in the company or outside of the companies understands the project?  Make connections with these key people who can help you along the way.

In addition to these important first steps, you need to determine who your audience is and how they will be receiving the information.  For example, the traditional product specification can now be delivered on multiple media, using technologies to address multiple audiences. The product specification could be delivered as a paper-based spec sheet, as a section in a user guide or technical manual, as part of a web page, and even inside the product user interface or a multiple of these examples.  Be sure you are preparing for all of the venues you will be using. 

Testing the product/idea should be done to back up any data you will be presenting to your client.  Yet, the most important part of presenting the information is making sure the key decision maker is present (p.34)

 

References:

Baer, Kim, and Jill Vacarra. Information Design Workbook: Graphic Approaches, Solutions, and Inspiration 30 Case Studies. Beverly, MA: Rockport, 2008. Print.

Google images

Module 2: Wayfaring Pros and Cons

Wayfaring information
After completing all of the required reading for this module, I became fascinated with wayfaring and how important images and words can be in our lives when we are not even thinking about it.

Jacobsen defines “ wayfinding in terms of problem solving with three major processes 1) decision making and development of a plan of action; (2) decision execution, transforming the plan into behavior at the appropriate place(s) along the route; and (3) perception and cognition to make and executive decisions” . (p.88)

It was interesting to me to weigh both the pros and cons of this information:
For instance, a globe allows us to visualize spatial patterns on Earth, yet no single representation can show everything, and the features depicted on globes are selected to fit a particular purpose. You will use one map to hike through a mountainous region and another to drive to a point in the mountain for a great view. But both of these items are crucial to your getting to your destination.

The pros: Today there are many apps on phones and in cars to help you navigate to many locations. One great tool that millions of us rely on daily is google maps. This feature is extremely helpful whether walking, driving or riding public transportation.

The cons: Most of us probably rely too much on our autonomous processors to effectively navigate through unfamiliar territory. This could lead to trouble if travelling abroad. To try correct this is make it a point to watch out for and remember specific environmental clues which will help you retrace your steps. If you just wander into an area or room in an unfamiliar building or neighborhood without observing these cues, you will probably become lost after only a few twists and turns.

It is always interesting to come across signs that make you wonder what they mean. There are many websites out there that provide these for humor. Perception of the user is key for many signs throughout the world.  I happened across this sign and the first thing I thought of was Watch Out for Purse Snatchers – this sure looks like a man running with a purse to me… however, I am sure that is not it’s purpose. I also enjoyed reading about each person’s perception can play a different role in wayfaring and I sure this would be the case with such a sign. What comes to your mind when you see this image? 

Module 1, What is Information Design?

Information Design, in my opinion, is the way you organize a message that you want others to receive.  After completed this module's readings, however, I realized it is so much more than that.  I really like the way that Baer broke down the term altogether and explained them separately first and then piecing them back together to come up with a clearer description.