The ratio of relevant to irrelevant information in a display. The highest possible signal-to-noise ratio is desirable in design.
In each stage of communication, the form of the information - the signal - is degraded and extraneous information - the noise - is added.
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Degradation reduces the amount of useful information by altering its form.
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Noise reduces clarity by diluting useful information with useless information.
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The clarity of information can be understood as the ratio of remaining signal to added noise.
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The goal of a good design is to produce high signal to noise ratio.
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Signal degradation occurs when information is presented inefficiently:
- unclear writing,
- inappropriate graphs, or
- ambiguous icons and labels
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Signal clarity is improved through simple and concise presentation of information.
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Emphasising key aspects of the information can also reduce signal degradation-e.g., highlighting or redundantly coding important elements in a design.
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Minimising noise means removing unnecessary elements, and minimising the expression of necessary elements.
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It is important to realise that every unnecessary data item, graphic, line, or symbol steals attention away from relevant elements.
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Every element in a design should be expressed to the extent necessary, but not beyond the extent necessary. Excess is noise.
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Use well-accepted standards and guidelines when available to leverage conventions and promote consistent implementation.
