Infographic
From Learning and training wiki
{{Term|INFOGRAPHIC|Blend of the words ‘information’ and ‘graphic’, the term indicates a visual representation of complex data or concepts through images, colours, graphs and illustrations. They are designed to make large amounts of complex data understandable ‘at a glance’; in fact, the visual element enhances the decoding and retention of the message. Well-designed infographics have perceptual, motivational, and cognitive characteristics that make them exceptionally valuable for instructional content, including improving:
- clarity and conciseness
- ability to make sense of complex information
- focus on key information
- engagement
- ease of remembering.
This type of visual representation is used worldwide in every discipline and many examples can be found in our everyday environment, from street signs and underground maps, to weather charts and newspaper articles.
Types of infographics
Traditionally, visualizations have included charts, maps or diagrams. Nowadays, infographics implement these elements with a creative and imaginative use of colorful icons and illustrations. There are several inspiring types of infographics; below are listed some of the most popular formats accessible online.
- Timelines (see example);
- Flowcharts (see example);
- Annotated maps (see example);
- Pie and line charts (see example);
- Diagrams (Venn, networks) (see example);
- Size comparisons (see example);
- Typographic (where typefaces are used to create an image, see example).
{{Tool|Designing an effective infographic|
Overview of online tools for creating infographics Provided below is an overview of the most popular online tools currently available to create infographics from different templates and customizable elements. Some of these tools come in two versions – free and proprietary. In general, free versions allow users, upon registration, to use basic templates and a limited set of graphic elements to create their infographic. Proprietary versions allow users to access a wider set of templates and functionalities.
| Tool | Specialization | Description | Free/Proprietary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piktochart | Generic | With a set of professional design tools, Piktochart helps users in designing presentations. They can combine themes, shapes, icons, vectors, text, uploaded images and export charts. | Free version: it allows users to create simple and neat infographics based on 3 basic themes.
Paid version: contains a high-quality range of templates and customizable elements; features a Drag-and-drop system that lets users easily insert images, icons, charts and graphics. |
| Tableau Public | Generic | Desktop product that can be used to publish interactive data to the web. Once on the web, anyone can interact with the data, download it, or create their own visualizations from it. No programming skills are required. | Free |