Science-Based Content Design: Information Typing for Design

Categorization is integral to human information processing – as soon as stimuli enters our sensory systems, our bodies and minds begin to categorize that information so we can process it efficiently.

Interestingly, effective information-development processes also rely heavily on categorization. From our earliest years, we learn to structure chunks of information into basic types (such as introduction, body, and conclusion). As technical communicators, we learn to use more sophisticated information types for ensuring quality and streamlining production.

This presentation brings together the natural categorization of information processing with the learned categorization of information development, and extends them to the visual components of content design. It shows how to increase usability by leveraging the skills we use as writers to make content-design decisions that that effectively direct our user’s attention, reinforce information-seeking behavior, facilitate comprehension, and ultimately lead to success – for our end users, our organizations, and ourselves.