Introduction

Abstract

Decisions on what content to include and how to design that content are major decisions that profoundly influence the overall communication of any text. In the course of arriving at how to communicate the information, alternatives are narrowed down until a final design, content, and interaction strategy is reached. Information is not a commodity to be simply transferred from person to person, nor is it something that can be poured into someone’s head. Instead, it is inherently value laden, and the situational context and presentation strongly influence people’s comprehension and the content’s overall effectiveness. Different choices of media affect readers differently and change how they interpret a text (Nisbet et al., 2002). Printed reports get interpreted differently than an identical online report. Changing the color schemes or adding audio can change it again. There is no single answer to what is the best method; it depends on the readers. Communicating clearly to that reader requires the design teams understands those readers.