The 7 Key principles of Information Design which should be considered when thinking about information design or any design for that matter are:
Grouping information – Lines/Space/Type.
Consistency – Language/Layout.
Typography – Audience/Message/legibility.
Grid Structure – Clear/Consistent/Navigation.
Graphic Elements – Bullet Points/Icons/Lines/Rules.
Spacing – Alignment/Consistency/White Space.
Visual Hierachy – Type Size & Weight/Colour/Lines/Space.
Erik Spiekermann
Erik Spiekerman is a German Typographer and designer who has created many widely used Fonts, best known for his typeface ‘FF Meta’ which can be seen in all its forms on this site: http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/fontfont/ff-meta/
Starting off as freelance grahpic designer in London, before returning home to Berlin to co-founder
MetaDesign. He later left MetaDesign due to disagreements. In 1989, along with his wife, he created FontShop. Later in his career he started what is now Edenspiekermann, which is still in oractice. Over the years he has developed work for many people and corperations such as Düsseldorf Airport, Audi, Volkswagen and Heidelberg Printing.
I visited the Edenspiekermann website but found his blog much more informative and enjoyable to browse, he writes his opinion and thoughts aswel as factual entries.
Spiekermann is a very influential deisgner, especially in the typograghy field winning awards throguht his career and doesnt show signs of stopping having recently won his fourth lifetime atcheivment award from the German Design Council. Of the type ive seen of his, it seems very structured and sort of formal. I haven’t yet discovered very pictoral or extravagant type which I think intrests me the most, yet his type is very useable. Id like to know a lot more about type than I do therefore studing Spiekermann’s work is a great place to start.
LCG 