Information Design Journal - Volume 14, Issue 3, 2006

Arrows, when used to depict the direction of movement in procedural illustrations, may be ambiguous with regard to the actual direction in which movements should occur. This ambiguity results from problems in translating threedimensional space to the two-dimensional display planes of the printed page and the computer monitor. We discuss sources of the ambiguity and possible solutions.

A document is mainly composed of words and images, but the complex relationship that binds these two completely different semiotic resources is usually taken for granted as transparent. The simple relations between words and images – ‘anchorage’ and ‘relay’, identified by Barthes almost 30 years ago – are unable to deal with the complexity of their bond, made even more complex by current printing and computer technology. This paper aims to identify the potential relations that bind texts and images together by arguing for a multilevel description of their logico-semantic relationships. The multiple, evaluative and metaphorical functions of the relations will also be discussed. The data generated from the proposed framework can form an empirical corpus for quantitative analysis. Examples from a variety of sources will be used as examples to show how the framework can be operationalized.

Through an examination of the organizational principles behind a highly successful visual information design employing rich prospect – Mendeleyev’s periodic table of the elements – this paper provides a set of principles for designers interested in creating tools for use in association with rich-prospect browsing interfaces. These principles emphasise the value of simultaneous structures visualized across the full range of available information, and include: the establishment of multiple matrices for pattern-finding, compression and inclusion, provision of a legend or key to the system, and the creation of potentially productive negative spaces. Interface strategies based on Mendeleyevian principles should be particularly useful for accessing large bodies of digital documents such as those often found in the humanities, maximizing the preretrieval research potential of a collection.

Most urban car trips register low occupancy rates, around 1.20 passengers per car. Originated in the US in the late 1960s, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes aim to improve mobility by optimizing vehicle occupancy and thus bring on an improved traffic flow, more efficient fuel economy and better environment. Madrid benefits from a 10 year-old HOV lane that has enjoyed success in terms of its functional traffic flow parameters. Variable Message Signs indicate the HOV lane availability, although the essential information is displayed via text. The study tests the judged comprehensibility of several pictograms intended for the HOV lane referent.