Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Large-scale pillars displaying information on avalanches and tornadoes at the Science Storms
exhibition.
Design challenges
• To provide a visually and thematically cohesive experience.
• To allow close engagement to control, observe and measure each phenomenon.
• To develop an integrated interpretive program to convey instructions, information
and context.
• To overcome the lighting and acoustic challenges inherent in the 2,415 square-metre
(26,000 squarefoot) space.
• To design elegantly detailed, rugged exhibits, casework and furniture to withstand
intense public use.
HINTS & TIPS
Knowing the possibilities of media
When considering which media or material to use, it is important to bear in mind the
context in which the design will exist. Which audiences are interacting with or view-
ing this piece? Is it in print, which requires crisp, precise typography, or illustration?
Does it need to be able to withstand the elements if it is placed outdoors? Will it be
legible in low light in the evening without specialist lighting? If technology is to be
used, will it require any specialist equipment to view the design? The client and audi-
ence will answer many of these questions, but several will have to be decided by the
information designer.
To illustrate how context is important within information design, over the next two
pages we examine the design consultancy Bibliothèque's design for the exhibition
Less is More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams, held at the Design Museum in Lon-
don in 2009-2010. The exhibition presented the work of Dieter Rams, head of design
at the German consumer electronics manufacturer Braun from 1961 to 1995. Rams's
industrial design was hailed for the elegant, legible, yet rigorous visual language used
within its products.
Used within the exhibition were 244 objects across five sections and spanning six
decades. Jonathan Jeffrey, founding member of Bibliothèque, explains: 'We didn't de-
vise a graphic identity for the exhibition; it was more about extrapolating key visual
