Beliefs, and belief systems, are a significant factor in the transmission of information. According to Shannon & Weaver (1948), the process of communication in any form involves encoding a message into a signal, transmitting, and then decoding it to receive the original message. This principle applies to computer systems as much as it does to personal speech, as putting an idea into words and parsing the words constitute acts of encoding and decoding a message. Belief systems, by the broadest definition, affect how humans access and manipulate information (Usó-Doménech & Nescolarde-Selva, 2016). In the context of communication, thus, belief systems can have a critical influence on these critical steps of encoding and decoding.
Besides communication, belief systems significantly influence individuals’ decision making processes. Belief systems affect one’s view of the world and inform his or her ideals (Usó-Doménech & Nescolarde-Selva, 2016). Thus, when one creates objects, in some ways encoding a message into them, this message is influenced by his or her belief system. Moreover, when examining the object, one decodes its message in the context of his or her belief system, which can be different from that of the original creator. Thus, the viewer’s perceived message, filtered through two belief systems, may be completely different from the creator’s intended message.
Belief systems are not static — they can change under external influences. Therefore, when designing for the future, one must consider his or her belief system, as well as those of the intended and potential viewers. It is critical to understand how a message’s intended meaning can be distorted in the process of communication, and how it can affect the belief systems of those viewing it.
Reference
Shannon, C. E. (1948). A mathematical theory of communication. Bell System Technical Journal, 27(3), 379-423. Web.