
Friday 2nd December: What does it mean to approach the complexity of the world as a designer? How do we work with rich information in a designerly way?
The GIGA-map is a designed artifact. It is obviously not meant to be an accurate record of complex systems “out there”. When working with GIGA-mapping one works with information as a designer in a constructivist way. The information is designed through several iterations, creating a deep knowledge and internalization and building a rich world view of the problematique. This design process is a knowledge building and constructing process where we go through many iterations, from rough sketch to refined and ordered and beautiful information visualization, via dialogues and incubations. The process of refinement is a process where the information is reprocessed and transformed through and by design. Through this process richness is maintained by the juxtaposing and layering of different categories or types of information. Bringing seemingly unrelated information together and finding or better constructing their interrelations is central. Most of the GIGA-maps are process tools and are not meant for communication except between their owners. One becomes an owner by creating them. Clients and partners can be co-owners of these visualized processes but the output is not meant to communicate with external receivers. Only towards the end of the process the information visualization might move towards a communicative mode where it becomes more inclusive to people who have not been involved in the process.
Including experts, stakeholders and clients at early or later stages is a highly effective way of dialogic design and deep involvement.