Information Design and Knowledge Portals

Abstract

This chapter discusses the knowledge portal interface in terms of its information design. It concentrates on the third shaping entity of the author’s Knowledge Portal Framework presented in Chapter 2. To start, a definition and description of the information design construct is given. From there, results of the author’s case study investigation are reported. Specifically, discussion involves the need to personalize information displayed on the portal, to deliver quality information that is sufficiently organized and intriguingly engaging, and to support collaborative tools. These results are compared and contrasted to other research findings in the literature. The objective is to give a holistic examination and discussion on the importance of information design in knowledge portal systems.