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The devices and the interfaces which deliver future information
will change. But no increase of speed, interactivity, or convenience
will replace the need for the clear presentation of information.
Content must be organized and presented in a logical way. When
the structure of information is confusing, neither the delivery
device nor the medium can save it. Technology does not enhance the
content; technology only enhances the way it is presented. How something
looks has meaning, but if the image is an end in itself, only an
aesthetic experience results. Information design is grounded in
a user's "need to know." Its purpose is to give priority
to information. Meaningful content defines the value of a web site.
Users can already shop for groceries, buy airline tickets, and
read the daily news online. The speed of accessing the Internet
will increase. More information will be available. Multimedia will
continue to enhance the display of information. Interactivity will
grow. Users may have the option of manipulating web sites, designing
them based on their own preferences.
By 2005, five hundred million people are expected to use the web.
The future shape of the web is debated, but the utility of any new
method of conveying information is dependent on whether it has an
accessible, intelligent structure based on information theory.
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