051 Five Hat Racks

A metaphor representing the five ways information can be organized.

• Information can be organized by category, time, location, alphabet, and continuum.

• Category refers to organization by similarity or relatedness; for example, a store organizing products by aisle or a library organizing books by subject.

• Time refers to organization by chronological order; for example, timelines and TV guide schedules.

• Location refers to organization by geographical or spatial reference; for example, emergency exit maps and travel guides.

• Alphabet refers to organization by alphabetical sequence; for example, dictionaries and this book.

• Continuum refers to organization by magnitude; for example, baseball batting averages and search results.

See Also Framing • Hierarchy • Layering • Similarity

Six breeds of dog organized using the five hat racks. Note how the method of organization influences the story the data tell.