Functional information design: Research and Practice

Although functional objectives have concerned designers for many years, and psychologists have published research on issues related to graphic design, fruitful cooperation between the two specialisms has only rarely been achieved. In this paper it is suggested that the traditional objectives and methods of neither group are sufficiently oriented towards the communication o f information in a complex society, and that it would be unrealistic to expect the design and evaluation of information to lead to opportunities for either personal expression or the discovery of permanent truths. A user-centred approach is urged, drawing from both the intuitive problem-solving skills of designers and the methodologies of psychologists.