Visual Communication through Infographics

Visual Communication
through Infographics
Ecaterina Valicã

http://students.info.uaic.ro/~evalica
“A. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi, Romania
Faculty of Computer Science

Visual Communication through Infographics

Information Design
● Ubiquitous
● Where do we see information design?

● roadway signage when you're driving;

● the map you use to plan your journey;

● the simplest brochure for a product or

service;
● instructions on your prescription bottle;

● new product assembly and usage guides for

toys, furniture, etc;


Information Design
● Uses pictures, symbols, colors, and words to
communicate ideas, illustrate information or
express relationships visually
● It implies:
– filtering the information,
– establishing relationships,
– discerning patterns and representing them in a manner
that enables a consumer of that information construct
meaningful knowledge.

Infographic
● Initially used in newspaper
● Provides a summarized, colorful and quick

overview to everyday news
● Condenses big amounts of information in a small

space

● USA Today, the paradigm of “visual newspaper”
● Weather page, designed by George Rorick


Infographic
● It's a visual explanation that helps you more
easily understand, find or do something.
● It's visual, and when necessary, integrates

words and pictures in a fluid, dynamic way.

● It stands alone and is completely self
explanatory.
● It reveals information that was formerly hidden

or submerged.


Infographic

● There is no better way to display large sets of data
than with a good statistical chart, or to provide
geographical context to a story with a map

Charts and graphs can communicate data
●

Infographics turn data into information
●


Infographic
● We’ll use hybrid to describe a single visual that
incorporates two or more visualization types
(rather than subjects)
● Whereas a hybrid combines multiple graphic
types within a single visualization, an
infographic combines multiple visualizations,
(often including text blocks), within a singly
viewed narrative composition.


Infographic
● People understand pictures faster and more
easily than words
● You can communicate complex ideas instantly
● Words need to be translated, while pictures are a
universal form of communication

● The main purpose is to show facts that would not
be tellable otherwise

Infographic
● Representation provides the basis for all
communication
● We can convey ideas about things that are not
materially in our presence only by calling forth
an appropriate mental representation
● While words and sentences are part of the verbal
communication system, images and graphical
representations form the visual communication
system.

Infographic
● The visualverbal dichotomy [nothing can belong
simultaneously to both parts]
“This is a square”
● Images make identification easy
● When word and image collide, as in this case, the
image dominates perception and it is impossible
to read the caption (“this is a square”) without
first recognizing the circle.

Infographic
● Pictorial representations cross social and
linguistic boundaries with ease
● However they are dependant upon the culture in
which their meaning is established
● Graphics and texts are complements, not
exclusive
● Because infographics use a combination of
images, words, and numbers, operate in a
hybrid system of both the verbal and the visual.

Wordless Diagrams
● Nigel Holmes:
quot;explanation graphicsquot;
● Display knowledge
how to do things


● Google Chrome
(September 2008)
used infographics to
explain the complex
inner workings


Google Insights for Search
– You can compare search volume patterns across
specific regions, categories, and time frames.

– A more advanced extension to Google Trends

● Potential business uses:
● examining seasonality,
● comparing synonyms,
● finding regions that are interested in a certain
product.

Google Insights for Search
Answers to questions:
● what are the most
popular cars in the
US this year?

● what are the
top searches in
France for the past
30 days?

Google Finance
● Information for Google Inc


Google Chart
Sparklines
Map charts
Radar charts


Google Chart
http://chart.apis.google.com/ Chs size in pixels
chart? Chd chart's data
chs=250x100 Cht chart's type
&chd=t:60,40 Chl chart's label
&cht=p3
&chl=Hello|World


Google Visualization
Motion chart Gadget Gallery
Eureka Gadget
Time Series Chart


Google Visualization
● Integrate in Google Spreadsheets


Geographical Distribution

● The best infographics
department in the world:
The New York Times

● Map with infographic
artist around the world


Thank you


Links
● http://www.visualcomplexity.com
● http://www.flickr.com/groups/856209@N23/
● http://infographicsnews.blogspot.com
● http://www.meryl.net/2008/01/175dataandinformatio
● http://www.tomcarden.co.uk/2008/04/16/datavisualis
● http://the.taoofmac.com/space/Visualization


Visual Communication through Infographics

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