$5k to $15k
estimated cost of external help
estimated cost of external help
- Communicate effectively
- Share
9 weeks or more
estimated run time
estimated run time
3-5 weeks
estimated lead time
estimated lead time
150+
participants
participants
Strong communicator
recommended experience
recommended experience
A selection of carefully chosen information that concisely and simply conveys the facts of a situation. It will include information on both sides of an issue and can be used as a decision-support tool for an audience. It is usually a starting point for research if an individual is motivated to learn more once gaining an overview of a topic. The kit may be a hardcopy or online and contain a range of media as appropriate to the audience.
In 5 steps...
- Determine the outcome required: What do you need users to understand or do after reading your information kit?
- Draft or source and compile the content for the information kit.
- Have a designer finalise the information kit (if possible), adding visuals, graphs and/or photographs to assist comprehension. This will ensure that both sides of an issue are represented equally.
- Test the information kit with (ideally) a member of the intended audience to check that the right level of comprehension has been realised and the kit appears unbiased.
- Update as required before distributing digitally or physically.
When to use it
Information kits are useful whenever participants are required to learn about and deliberate on a particular issue. By providing more than one source of information on a topic, and presenting this information in an equitable way, they can help participants understand various perspectives, reducing the bias that news sources and design can bring. They are particularly useful when requesting input from an audience on a topic about which they may have only limited prior knowledge.
Benefits
Immediate
- Increased visibility of changes or proposed solutions.
- Doesn’t require any time or effort from the public.
- Can be low-cost yet high-reach, especially if distributed digitally.
- Improved reception of the final output.
Risks
- Often goes unread unless supported by a good promotional strategy and/or a clear audience need.
- There is a lack of, or limited opportunities for, feedback, and what feedback there is will require additional steps to be taken by the reader.
Tips
- Keep the most important information at the top of each page or otherwise prioritised.
- Consider the best flow of information with which to fairly describe the situation.
- Put sources in footnotes or otherwise indicate them, to enable readers to follow up with their own research.
- Make sure your sources are reputable, and verify/cross-check as much as possible.