Applications of the Document Towers method of representing document structures

Abstract

This article argues in favor of representing the spatial distribution of information within and between documents, by surveying a broad variety of potential applications, including the entire document lifecycle, multiple sensory modalities, and a large spectrum of tasks and users. The theoretical explanations of this richness are a further facet of the article, and can be summarized as follows: (1) insights emerge from focusing on information structure, rather than information meaning; (2) spatializing information creates new information; (3) simplification increases the polyvalence of representation models; (4) introducing mystery in communication channels motivates discovery and diversifies insights; (5) approaching information design as a Gesamtkunstwerk multiplies the applications; (6) information is a manifestation of a link between structures and the actions these enable, while information design is the art and science of creating such links. The argument is developed around the concrete example of a document structure visualization, the Document Towers, which uses the metaphor of architectural models to represent documents.