Daedalus Information Systems: Portfolio: Information Design

Information Design

Information design is the application of structure, context, and layout to visually enhance the consumption of information on a page.

Note: The past representations of the Web properties below come from the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

Microsoft How to Buy Section
Careful and consistent monitoring of customer feedback indicated a severe discoverability and comprehension problems with Pricing and Licensing information, buried deep in the Product Information section.

August 2000:The first redesign focused the attention on Full Retail pricing with link guidance to volume licensing information that had been consolidated onto its own page.
October 2000:The second redesign raised the visibility of this information with representation in the left navigation and brought the licensing information back onto the page.
June 2001: The SQL Server Product team requested the consolidation of pricing information and licensing information on the same page.
The current representation shows a stronger association between pricing and licensing with strong link guidance to additional information on the various aspects of database software licensing.

SQL Server Pricing and Licensing [August 2000]
Note: Adobe PDF file

SQL Server Pricing and Licensing [October 2000]
Note: Adobe PDF file

SQL Server Pricing and Licensing [June 2001]
Note: Adobe PDF file

SQL Server Pricing and Licensing current representation

Microsoft Online Security Bulletins
In the summer of 2005, I was asked to take a look at the Microsoft TechNet Online Security Bulletins to see if I could resolve ongoing customer issues with the representation of this critical data.

Elevated key information to forefront using Pareto Principle [20% of the content will answer 80% of the questions] allowing customers to "grab and go" as needed with security patches or delve further into the information
Redesigned content presentation to allow customers to easier access to what they need without wading through an ocean of words

TechNet Online Security Bulletins today

TechNet Online Security Bulletin redesign

Note: If you are running Windows XP with SP2, you will need to allow "Blocked Content" for JavaScript drop downs to work.

Microsoft Storage Portal
Sometimes, less is more. This redesign converted an information dense environment into an information rich environment by pruning text to enhance page scanning and information scent.

Site identity of pre-sales, at-sales information clearly defined
Segmented information design based on audience increases access to specific content
Design emphasizes access to information over text on page

Microsoft Storage [October 2004]
Note: Adobe PDF file

Microsoft Storage today