Design Definitions Graphic Design | Information Design | Instruction Design Integration Model | Visual Guide | Information Design main page "Traditional graphic design is a kind of all-purpose design in various media. Graphic design may be described as the art and craft of bringing an aesthetic, functional and organized structure to groups of diverse elements. These elements may be headings, texts, lists, pictures, captions, tables, and sometimes even sounds and motion in motion pictures, on television, and on computers." "Information design (ID) may be defined in the following way: 'In order to satisfy the information needs of the intended receivers information design comprises analysis, planning, presentation and understanding of a message - its content, language and form. Regardless of the selected medium, a well designed information material will satisfy aesthetic, economic, ergonomic, as well as subject matter requirements' (Pettersson, 1998). Information design is interdisciplinary and encompasses influences and facts from more than fifty established areas of research. The main areas of research are divided into the following six groups with 'base disciplines' (1) language disciplines (including graphic design), (2) art and aesthetics disciplines, (3) information disciplines, (4) communication disciplines, (5) behavioral and cognition disciplines, (6) business and media technology disciplines. In information design the main objective is to provide information or information material that the receiver may need in order to perform a specific task. This kind of information material makes everyday life easier for the people who need the information." "Instruction design is an umbrella term, used in order to bring related instruction areas together. It is interdisciplinary and includes main aspects from audio-visual instruction, educational technology, instructional technology, instructional design, technology of instruction, and instructional message design. These areas are all dealing with instruction and learning, but from different perspectives, and with different emphasis. Within each area the various definitions and descriptions have changed over time, which is sometimes confusing (Pettersson, 1999). In instruction design the main objective is to provide courses or learning materials needed by the learners in order to learn something and construct, or develop knowledge within a specific area." All definitions quoted from the International Institute for Information Design, VisionPlus7 conference, 1999, Tokyo, Japan: Rune Pettersson,. Professor of Information Design, Department of Information Design, Malardalen University, Sweden top of page ©2000, Jannette Finch and Elaine Montambeau The College of Charleston-SC, Department of Academic Computing Last Modified 3/5/2000