Organizing Information: the LATCH System
“Information may be infinite, however…The organization of information is finite as it can only be organized by LATCH: Location, Alphabet, Time, Category, or Hierarchy.”
As an author, architect, speaker, and graphic designer, Richard Saul Wurman knows a thing or two about managing large amounts of information to create compelling stories. He is not only the author of nearly 100 books, but also founder and chair of the TED and TEDx conference series and creator of the term “information architect.”
In his 1989 book Information Anxiety, Wurman argued that there are only five methods of organizing information, as laid out by his LATCH system.
“Each method will permit a different understanding of the information—within each are many variations. However, recognizing that the main choices are limited makes the process less intimidating,” he writes.
The LATCH system:
Location: Organizing information based on space or place, aka maps.
Alphabet: Used for very large bodies of information if there’s no other prevailing strong organizational structure, less natural than other methods as it’s “forced” organization rather than natural. Think dictionaries and directories.
Time: Organizing information sequentially, such as timelines, schedules, and directions.
Category: Sorting by groups or types of information.
Hierarchy: As in tallest to shortest, most expensive to least, youngest to oldest.
How do you choose which method to use?
The method(s) you select to present your information depend on how you want the information to be used, or even perceived, as Wurman writes:
“If you were preparing a report on the automobile industry, you could organize cars by place of manufacture (location), year (time), model (category), or Consumer Reports ratings (hierarchy). Within each, you might list them alphabetically.
“Your choice would depend on what you wanted to study or convey about the industry. If you wanted to describe the different types of cars, your primary organization would probably be by category. Then, you might want to organize by hierarchy, from the least expensive to the most. If you wanted to examine car dealerships, you would probably organize first by location, and then by the number or continuum of cars sold.”
Another example is organizing a bookshelf. Have you seen bookshelves organized by book color? Attractive to the eye, yes, but finding a specific book is a major pain. If actually reading books is your goal, you’d probably want to use categorical or alphabetical methods.
Using LATCH in your RPG campaign
Wurman tells us that the method of organizing and presenting information should be determined by the story you want to tell.
Isn’t that an interesting idea. You may have a ton of information at your fingertips from a homebrew world or even a prewritten campaign, but how you use and present information will change depending on the story you want to tell with your players.
Consider the iconic method of organizing a dungeon by location:
The Mentzer Dungeon map, recreated by Dyson’s Dodecahedron, an excellent source for RPG maps.
By using this method, your story falls into the familiar rhythm of exploring a location room by room. Though the rooms may be filled with unexpected traps, monsters, and NPCs, the rhythm of explore-encounter-explore sets in and can feel stale or forced.
What if, in addition to using Location, you added the element of Time as well? Some ideas to get your creative cogs turning:
A steam vent in one room releases burning hot gasses from an underground smelter every 20 minutes.
A troll will return to one of the rooms at dawn.
At precisely noon and again at midnight, one of the rooms is completely illuminated by sunlight and then moonlight. It is only then that magical runes are visable.
Three of the rooms are guarded by goblin guards, but goblin work law mandates each goblin be given a 1/2 hour break for every four hours worked. Are some of the goblins eating their lunch when the players arrive?
Mix and matching methods as a creativity boost
Because we are used to seeing campaigns, encounters, and combat laid out in particular ways (usually a mix of Location and Time), imagining how elements of our game might be organized differently can be a great way to solve writer’s block or keep our games from feeling predictable.
Even if you don’t use an alternative method, considering how you could can be a source of insight.
For example…
Location:
A local celebrity is hosting an extravagant party which begins at the town restaurant, moves to a temple, and ends at the old Druid circle in the woods.
The players find a hand drawn map of the human body with strange writing over some of the limbs and organs.
Alphabet:
A curse forces a magic user to cast their spells in alphabetical order for two days.
Time:
A player has only six hours to find a cure for her snakebite.
The party is tasked with delivering produce that will spoil in seven days.
Huge flocks of crows circle over a spot in the forest every sunset.
A dragon is due to lay her clutch of eggs at the new moon and will likely be too distracted to notice any trespassers.
Category:
The players happen upon a section of prairie where wildflowers have been planted in color groups.
Hierarchy:
A dungeon’s rooms become smaller and smaller as the player progresses. The final “room” is no bigger than a sugar cube.
Combat is ordered from shortest creature to tallest.
