Information software design can be seen as the design of context-sensitive information graphics.

Software design involves the design of two types of artifact:

.Pictures
.Things to push

We share the blood of cavemen who pushed spears into mammoths and drew pictures of them in the living room. these two activities have evolved into well-established design disciplines:

.Graphic Design    
.Industrial Design 

Graphic Design is the art of conveying message on the two-dimensional surface. when the designer defines the visual representation of her program, when she describes the pictures that the user will interpret, she is doing the graphic design.

Industrial Design is the art of arranging and shaping a physical product so it can be manipulated by a person. A good industrial designer understands the capabilities and limitations of the human body in manipulating physical objects, and of the human mind in comprehending mechanical models. an understandable mapping from physical features to functions.
when the designer defines the interactive aspects of her program, she is doing a virtual form of industrial design.

Three Reasons :

 .To learn
 .To create
 .To communicate

The software can be classified according to which of these needs it serves:

 . Information software -

Serves the human urge to learn, a person uses information software to construct and manipulate a model that is internal to the mind -a mental representation of information. Good information software encourages the user to ask and answer questions, make comparisons, and draw conclusions.

information_model

 . Manipulation software-

Serves the human urge to create. A person uses manipulation software to construct and manipulate a model external to herself—a virtual object represented within the computer, or a remote physical object. a virtual tool. an interface between creator and artifact.

manipulation_model

 . Communication software-

Serves the human urge to communicate.

communication_model

Three Traits:

.Available 
.Understandable
.Comfortable

Most People are not seeking to make her mark upon the world, but to rearrange their own neurons. the computer becomes a medium for asking questions, making comparisons, and drawing conclusions,

People want to ask and answer questions ,compare my options, and let it guide my spending decisions.

Comparison:

Train Table

Train Graph