Exhibit Examines History of Information Design

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Art and Design is hosting “Data Porn: Penetrating Information Design,” a rich, visual display of the history of information design that will be on display through Nov. 28 in the Learning Commons Gallery of Cook Library on the Hattiesburg campus. This exhibit is free and open to the public. 

The exhibit features a collection of images and artifacts ranging from historical manuscripts to original info-graphics. Curated by graphic design students in the Department of Art and Design, the exhibit includes a display of items from the Special Collections archive at the McCain Library and Archives.

Graphic design students Marcus Martin of Collinsville, Miss., Alicia Ard of Robertsdale, Ala. and Victoria Scarbrough of Seminary, Miss., produced the exhibit, which illustrates the history of information design. 

"The Data Porn exhibit is a chance to step back and appreciate information design," Ard said.

These graphic design students collaborated with the librarians at the McCain Library and spent several weeks visiting Special Collections. The goal of the exhibit is to demonstrate what information design is, what it looks like and provide visual examples.

Ard, Martin and Scarbrough first selected examples from special collections. The second component is a series of info graphics that other students in the class designed inspired by the history of information design.

“Some of my students took the opportunity to put together a public exhibit of materials, with help from the librarians at McCain Library and Archives, that shows the general public what information design is and how visually interesting and engaging it can be, and also the beauty of the art,” said Dori Griffin, assistant professor of in the Department of Art and Design.

For more information about this exhibit or other events within the College of Arts and Letters, visit http://artsandlettersnow.usm.edu.