Information Design - Exercises

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Name: Liong Xenyi (0383125)
Module: Video and Sound Production (GCD60504)
Date: 2/2/2026 - 18/3/2026 (Week 1 - Week 7)
Degree: Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media 
University: Taylor's University

Table of Contents
  • Instructions
  • Exercises
    • Exercise 1: Quantify & Visualize Data
    • Exercise 2: L.A.T.C.H.
  • Flip Class
Instructions
  • Exercise 1: Quantify & visualize data (10%)
    • Arrange objects (Lego/ buttons/ coins etc) with relevant indicators written out with pens to help you visualize the quantity and data. Take a picture of the final assembly and upload into your Google Drive folder. 
  • Exercise 2: L.A.T.C.H.
    • Location / Alphabet / Time / Category / Hierarchy
    • Organize a group of information into a visual poster that combined and utilizes the LATCH principles (min. 4)

Fig 1.1 Information Design Exercises and Assignments

Exercises
Exercise 1: Quantify & Visualize Data
I wanted to find something unique to quantify the data for this project, as using coins, buttons, etc. is a little overused. Luckily, when I was searching my house for items, I stumbled upon seashells that my mother kept. It has a lot of variety and sizes, so I decided to use that.
Fig 1.2 Unquantified Seashells

The hard part was the research, as I don't know anything about seashells except for its pretty looks. It took me a long time to find and match each seashell with a name. There were many specific names, but to keep it short and simple, I used the basic names.
Fig 1.3 Seashell Research

After I grouped them, I was figuring out how to group them in a presentable visual layout that is aesthetic and practical. Since the seashells are big, I wanted to separate them using coloured paper. In the end, I used a board to place the seashells so that it's visually better in a frame. 
Fig 1.4 Close-up of Quantified Seashells

I separated them into 3 main groups: Single, Pair, and Group. I have seven different types of seashells: Ark, Conch, Whelk, Turbnan, Scallop, Nerite and Perinkle. In those types, I separated them into sub-category groups of 3 sizes: Large, Medium and Small. I used the coloured-paper to separate the sizes, and the string to separate the shell types. The 'Group' category are separated into another sub-category with colours and patterns, using the same coloured-paper but cut into different rectangles.
Fig 1.5 Quantified Seashells close-up 1

Fig 1.6 Quantified Seashells close-up 2

Fig 1.7 Quantified Seashells Exercise 1

I made Keys for easy references. The first one (left) has all the shells in their main category along with their sizes. As for the group details (right), it includes the sub-category of colours and patterns, along with their sizes.
Fig 1.6 Key for Quantified Seashells


Exercise 2: L.A.T.C.H.
The list of suggested compiled data were Pokemons, Final Fantasy Beasts and Dinosaurs. I didn't want to do Pokemons as I think it is a little overused (and I never got into it), but have an interest in the FF games, so I looked at the FFXIV Bestiary. However, after an hour of reading and researching, I gave up as it is too complicated, and as a newbie, it was overwhelming. I decided to use a compiled data to something I like, so it is easier for me to categorise using the L.A.T.C.H. principles and I could understand it better. 

I decided to use the Unversed from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep (KH BBS) (do people play this game?) as they have a small amount of monsters that I can easily group. To summarise this game, you can play as three different characters with the same storyline, just in their own perspectives. They travel to different worlds to defeat the monsters (Unversed) while finding the main threat (at the end). Each world will have new Unversed appearing, some designed to have the world features themselves. Consequently, I want to do this exercise through a timeline, separating them into different locations, level categories and the hierarchy of the level. 

I chose my favourite character, Ventus, and used his journey as a reference for which Unversed he encounters in a chronological order. I found the page for all the Unversed, while simultaneously checking the order in which they appear for Ventus on another page (Fig 2.2). I decided to use 3 for each location, and downloaded their pictures.
Fig 2.1 Unversed Page

Fig 2.2 Unversed Locations through Ventus' Journey

I also searched the worlds that are available in the game (Fig 2.3). There are a lot of places, but not every place has the Unversed so I eliminated some. Referencing the map, I made my own timeline which is simpler. However when I was gathering the groups, I realised there were too many locations, making it cluttered with too much information, so I removed some worlds in which Ventus never fought Unversed bosses. I downloaded the worlds' pictures.
Fig 2.3 KH Birth by Sleep worlds

Fig 2.4 KH Birth by Sleep map

Below is my process on Adobe Illustrator. At first, I wanted to make a landscape infographic, but it wasn't working well with the space and look. So I changed it to portrait and it looked better. Additionally, it helps with the hierarchy organisation, as reading from top to bottom is universal, rather than left to right. I used green as the background, as it is Ventus' colour. A short explanation of the Unversed and how I organised this infographic is listed at the top, alongside with a picture of Ventus and the Unversed symbol. It was hard for me to include a KH BBS logo, with the limited space, but I managed to make space at the bottom right. It's a little cheesy, but I added a galaxy with a low opacity as the background, because that's how they travel through the different worlds, and it also aligns with the game's design.
Fig 2.5 LATCH infographic process

This is how I organised the data of the Unversed using LATCH:
Location: The Unversed are separated based on which world they originated from.
Alphabet: Not in use, as there are too many to include and it is hard to categorise with the other principles.
Time: Follows through Ventus' journey, in the order in which he first encounters the Unversed in their respective worlds.
Category: I divided them into 3 levels - Easy, Medium, and Boss. The Unversed are placed into each category based on their fighting levels. I used a colour system too so it is easier to remember and reference - Green for easy, blue for medium, and orange for boss. The colours were based on the lucky charms the 3 main characters had. 
Hierarchy: The timeline shows the journey, from easy to hard, as I placed the locations from top to bottom. Additionally, the Unversed category are placed in a triangle form, easy to medium to boss, top to bottom. 

Fig 2.6 L.A.T.C.H. Infographic Poster Exercise 2

Flip Class
Week 1
Instruction: As a group, present what is an infographic.
We learned the basis of what good infographics are and what elements they possess. We have to find the different types of infographics and explain what they are best used for.

Fig 3.1 What is an Infographic


Week 2
Instruction: Re-design one poorly constructed infographic poster with CANVA.
We have to find an example of what is a good and bad infographic, and compare the differences. 

Fig 3.2 Good vs Bad Infographic

Fig 3.3 Redesigned Infographic


Week 3
We learned the different principles of L.A.T.C.H. and how it applies to infographics.

Presentation: LA.T.C.H. Principles
Fig 3.4 LATCH Principles


Week 4
We learned that Miller's Law is about chunking information to help the brain remember, as it only holds little bits of information in the short term memory.

Presentation: Miller's Law
Fig 3.5 Miller's Law


Week 5
We learned about Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifasto, and how it is these guidelines help in functionality and context to make an infographic simple and straight to the point.

Fig 3.6 Manuel Lima's 9 Directives Manifasto

Week 6
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Week 7
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