Why culture matters in designing information for communities and everyday life
What is it about?
This editorial introduces a special issue on how culture shapes information design. It shows that information is not neutral, but influenced by people’s experiences, histories, and social contexts. The articles highlight how communities actively adapt and create information that fits their needs, such as in public spaces, health communication, transport systems, and AI tools. They also reveal how systems can exclude groups like migrants or Indigenous communities if cultural perspectives are ignored. Overall, the issue calls for designers to work with communities, value local knowledge, and create more inclusive, fair, and culturally meaningful information systems.
Why is it important?
This special issue is timely in addressing how culture, power, and lived experience shape information design in an era of global mobility and AI. It is unique in bringing together community-driven, decolonial, and critical perspectives across diverse contexts. By foregrounding marginalized voices and real-world practices, it broadens relevance beyond academia and offers insights that can attract wider, interdisciplinary readership.