Only a fragment of design is about how something looks.
Design is for solving problems.
 
Your customer’s goals and challenges are central to developing clear information that supports their needs.
 
Designing anything in a vacuum without user testing is a set up for failure. User testing means more than surveys and focus groups. It means watching people use your information, and asking them what could be improved.
 
Information design is the successful marriage of words and images. An image isn’t worth pursuing unless it advances understanding.
 
Design for substantial content requires a visual system. It also requires a system in your organization to maintain it.
 
Well designed information should be included as a part of your product development cycle.
 
Design is also about putting internal processes in place to assure a consistent flow of well designed information.
 
How your organization is structured will have an impact on how you develop information. Consider who should be at the table at the outset and at each milestone. 
 
Design is not about personal pursuits. It IS about creating a preferred future state for your customers.