Information Design - Tools

Virtual Design Tools

 Tools of information design are very diverse and can be found wherever people have the need to share any sort of information. Some of the tools I have used for information design exist in the virtual world of Second Life. I have been part of Second Life for the past three and a half years and for much of that time, I have been a clothing designer. Fashion is very big in Second Life, and many people take it quite seriously as for some it is their main source of income. To advertise and promote clothing lines and brands, virtual stores are set up with groups to announce promotions and new arrivals. Designers also use blogs to further promote their work.

To present clothing to other avatars within Second Life, I create labels in Photoshop, then upload them in-world to apply to prims that allow others to purchase the item shown on the label. These prims are like boxes that I have built to my required specs that I fill with the article I have made to sell. I set permissions on these boxes that allow others to purchase the item shown on the label for a set price, using in-world money, known as Lindens.

This is the first step in building a box-shape prim.

 I have changed the shape of the prim to the size I want it for the label.

Now, I have applied a texture to the prim that I use for my store theme.

I have applied the label that I made in Photoshop to the box.

For each article of clothing that I create, I make a new label and box for each one. Then I can put them into my virtual store where avatars can visit to purchase new clothing. I also use the labels that I have created on the Second Life Marketplace. This marketplace allows users to shop for items available for Second Life while out of world. My labels serve the same purpose on the marketplace as they do in-world. The only difference between them is three dimensional boxes and two dimensional boxes. They are all tied together, and any sales from my clothing deliver funds to my avatar. My marketplace page is: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/38802.

 

This is the label I used for this shirt as found on the Second Life Marketplace. It is also applied to the prim in-world for a store setting. It provides information to customers about the article of clothing, including what layers they receive and what permissions they have.

The use of the building tools in Second Life makes information design possible to promote sales of my clothing. Many people have found ways in Second Life to use these tools to create all sorts of things. There is a constant exchange of information in this virtual world, and by applying creativity, there is very little that can’t be done. Through the use of the tools, a whole economic market flows completely independent from reality if desired. While the money made in Second Life can be converted into real money, it’s through information design that made it possible in the first place. A Second Life business exists very much like a real life business in that it requires advertising to succeed. While many merchants offer promotions to drive sales from time to time, one of the most sought after means of advertising is a write-up in a fashion blog.

During my time as a designer, my clothing has appeared in a few blogs such as these two: http://nataliemontagne.blogspot.com/2010/07/elfashionista.html,  http://lotuslandnotesv2.blogspot.com/2010/07/nonahoo-designs-and-other-fancy-stuff.html. Blogs serve as a tool of advertising in Second Life, and being chosen by a blogger to be featured in their blog is considered to be highly desirable in the fashion community. There are a multitude of Second Life fashion blogs available to read up on the latest fashions, and can easily be found through a Google search. A few blogs that are popular are:  http://juicybomb.com/,  http://iheartsl.com/, and  http://www.allfashionsl.com/. If you have any interest in virtual fashion, check these out. They pride themselves on staying up-to-date with the fashion world. 

If anyone has any interest in Second Life and would like help with it or just wants to hang out, don’t hesitate to look me up in-world. My avatar name is: Reise Claremont. There is much to do in Second Life besides fashion, such as making new friends, dancing/clubbing, virtual pets, sightseeing, sports, charities, education, and just about anything you can possibly think of.