What Are They?

Infographics are not new, but they have become very important as a way to quickly provide information, data or a message about anything using a photo or graphic representation online, in print or elsewhere. Anyone that has ever read a subway or bus map instantly understands how useful these are. They provide instant access to information and deliver it in a visual manner that anyone can understand. That saves time and the need for a lengthy description or explanation. Think of an infographic as a kind of visual shorthand for the human mind.

How They Work

If you wanted to take a New York City subway train from Flushing to Manhattan, you would need to be sure you were on board the Number 7 train originating and departing from Flushing, Queens. Once aboard, you would have to find out which stop in Manhattan you need to use to reach your destination. Since the Number 7 stops at a few stations where there are other lines that intersect with it and also provide access to various locations in Manhattan, you would have to find out if switching trains would save you time and effort. A subway map posted in every car answers all those questions in less than a minute. Imagine the time it would take to read written explanations of the same information?

Infographics are a way to quickly connect to the human thinking process and convey information that is both easily understood and remembered. They are all based on the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It is ironic that the phrase was coined by an Adman named Fred R. Barnard in an article featured in a 1921 journal called ‘Printer’s Ink.’ That publication was geared towards the advertising, newspaper and printing trades. We see that phrase in use everyday online, in print, on television, and anywhere people can view a photo or graphic.

The Most Important Elements Of A Good Infographic Without the benefit of a presentation, a static infographic which may be part of an article or web page must say it all, say it fast, make a point, be memorable, and do all that without causing a reader to bug out. That is a tall order and exactly why people put so much thought and time into creating them. A really good infographic is a simplified representation of facts (or data) that you are trying to present, or of a message you are hoping to convey.

Back in the 1960s one of the best examples of a really successful infographic was an anti-pollution poster and mass media campaign that featured a photo of a man named Espera DeCorti in Native American dress. Decorti was standing in front of a badly polluted river with debris floating on top of it. He had a tear coming out of his eye. The message was instant, powerful and spurred people on to action.

Good infographics take time to develop. It is not unusual for the developers to experiment with many different versions until they get it right. Getting it right means that people in their target audience look at it and get the meaning or message almost immediately. Testing can be a big part of that process. They may show various versions of an infographic to hundreds of people before deciding which one to use.

The importance of inforgraphics can be measured by the fact of how much money is spent each year on the development and updating of just one of the most simple, yet important of the breed. Signs are everywhere and we often depend on them to tell us how fast we can drive, where to find a restroom or what type of services are offered at various exits along the freeway.

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