Information on Information Design

[michael metz]

Hey everyone!
Sending this out as an request for some information.

a good friend of mine is looking to go back to grad school, and is interested in the field of information design (specifically maps, but really interested in it all)

i was wondering if any of yall had any recommendations for good schools and programs that she might start looking at.
also any books, websites, etc etc would be great!


she has cartographic experience with both aesthetically designed maps, and GIS data generated maps.
her current position is at a non profit doing map making, but it is all generated using very technical database stuff that i don't really understand...
and she doesn't get to do the part she loves, which is the graphical, usable aesthetic side....



anywho, any help would be much appreciated!

thanks much.
-michael

(ps, sorry if any of you get this twice, i wasn't sure who is on the 'design chain' group list anymore, so i tagged on a ton of extra ppl to the message... )