informatiefocus

Informatiefocus is a term used to describe a philosophy and practice in information design and content strategy that prioritizes the effective transmission of factual information to end users. It emphasizes accuracy, usefulness, verifiability, and transparency, with content structured to support quick understanding and reliable decision-making.

Core principles include clarity, conciseness, completeness, structured organization, accessibility, and source attribution. Content produced under an informatiefocus approach is typically written for a specific audience, uses plain language, and includes metadata, cross-references, and citations to primary sources where possible. Visual design favors legibility and scannability, with data presented through clear charts, tables, and summaries.

Applications span journalism, technical documentation, educational materials, regulatory communications, websites, and data publications. In practice, teams may employ checklists, style guides, information architecture audits, and readability or quality metrics to measure adherence to informatiefocus standards. Common metrics include information density, accuracy rates, user comprehension tests, and time-to-answer tasks.

History: The term emerged in information design discussions in the 2010s to describe a shift toward fact-centered content in contrast to promotional or stylistic content. It is used more as a guiding principle than as a strict standard, and its boundaries vary by domain.

Criticism and challenges: Critics note that strict information focus can conflict with engagement or narrative goals, and that measuring information quality can be subjective. Proponents argue that clear, verifiable information supports trust and long-term usefulness.

See also: information design, information architecture, data visualization, fact-checking, plain language.