An infographic design principle: An effective infographic should aid the
comprehension of complex, abstract or otherwise obscure information. It does
this by providing a visual representation of an idea or concept which helps
people see the patterns, relationship or logic involved. A designer has to be
careful to keep this mind when creating the infographic. This means that the
designer has to understand the formal elements of graphic design (Conceptual,
visual, relational, and practical) and consider the graphic’s effect on
perception. If the designer makes the graphic too busy or uses distracting images, colors, shapes, the
message might be misunderstood or missed.
Example
of a bad info graphic:
There's so much information on this info graphic and it's so difficult to follow the relationships that the message gets confused. Additionally, I think the many different colors and shapes add to the disorganization and feeling of being overwhelmed.
Here's a Good
infographic:
This much simpler, straight forward design is much easier to follow and comprehend.
You highlight an excellent design principle, John! I could not agree with you more.
ReplyDeleteThe first infographic overwhelms the senses. Although it may present valuable information, under other circumstances I would not even give it a second look. Its complexity acts as a barrier, preventing would-be viewers from investing the time it would take to sort through the tangled web. In this case, I did take the time to at least read the title. It seems as though the design may have been an intentional attempt to satire the complexity of the national health care plan. Even if intentional, the design remains a distraction.
The second example is much more approachable. Its design entices the viewer to read further. It does this in part, by employing a pleasant color pallet. Additionally, the use of various font sizes serves as a guide, purposefully directing the viewer’s attention from one piece of information to the next.
Thanks for the design tip!
-Kipp