Jason Kottke’s remaindered links today point to a slick PDF presentation by Marc Rettig and Aradhana Goel illustrating design principles.
Of particular interest here is a case study of library redesign; these designers helped Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh transform from a cluttered headache into what looks like a perfectly pleasant place to find information.
The slides are worth clicking through, if only to gasp at the pre-transformation “reference desk.” I’m copying a few below: