Monday, March 18, 2013

A new view on Information Design


LOCATE/UNDERSTAND/ACT™ or as I refer to it -  LUNA

In an attempt to clarify my work and to simplify my projects, I have created the LUNA process. Over the next few weeks, using examples, I will explain the process and its meaning relative to clear communications. Although I call myself an information designer, I've aways felt that it was difficult for the average (non-designer) person to comprehend easily, and without too much additional explanation, what it is I do and how I make communications more successful.

Let's start with the high level view: 
In order for any communications to be clear, the user must be able to LOCATE the information (content) that they need easily and quickly. Next they then need to UNDERSTAND the information that they found, and thirdly, they need to be able to ACT upon the information they found and understood. Although my expertise is in financial services, insurance and healthcare documents, LUNA is defined in a broad way - any paper document, any website, any smart phone or tablet - in fact - ANY communications. If you can't satisfy ALL three areas of LUNA, then the communications fails. But, more on that in another post.

A note here is in order - I use the word "user", but I'm afraid that might not be the best. I've tried audience, person, customer, etc., not ideal choices. I'm having trouble finding a suitable replacement. 

Any suggestions?

1 comment:

  1. I would look to some term related to the word "interest".

    ORIGIN late Middle English (originally as interess): from Anglo-Norman French interesse, from Latin interesse ‘differ, be important,’ from inter- ‘between’ + esse ‘be.’ The -t was added partly by association with Old French interest ‘damage, loss,’ apparently from Latin interest ‘it is important.’ The original sense was ‘the possession of a share in or a right to something’; hence sense 4 of the noun. Sense 1 of the noun and the verb arose in the 18th cent.

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