Creating An Effective US History Timeline Using Principles of Information Design

Abstract

Visual information has been used as a form of communication throughout the years. In this thesis project, I plan to address historical illiteracy by utilizing universal principles of information design to create a digital US History timeline that students could reference easily and consistently as a historical resource to contextualize information. Implementing design theory, the timeline prototype aims to be aesthetically pleasing and proficient at attracting student users. Furthermore, a digital version of the timeline seeks to be innovative and enable teachers to edit accordingly and update more efficiently. Steps to convert the digital timeline to a wallpaper border for the classroom environment will also be examined as it may provide a more constant information tool than temporary paper bulletin board versions currently in use.