Books that Visualize the World: What Time Travel Can Teach Us About Information Architecture
Summary
UX swallowed the Information Architecture profession long ago, yet the basic concept of "structural design of shared information environments" is still the foundation of digital experiences. How old is this concept and how relevant is it today? When we place books that visualize the world from different centuries side by side, what lessons can we learn and reuse? I will present an informative and entertaining tour of seven extraordinary masterpieces, Arabic, Catalan, Latin, German, Chinese, French, and English, from the 12th to the 20th centuries. These books are described in my new book: Mapping Knowledge Across Time (CRC Press 2026). I will explain how each author organized the world. My talk is meant to destabilize the boundaries of art history and graphic design. I will invite you to join a discussion on how this relates to the visualization patterns we use in the digital world today.
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Books that Visualize the World: What Time Travel Can Teach Us About Information Architecture
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