Strategies For Visual Research - Infographics

Legible London are monolith signs around London to aid pedestrians aroudn the city. It is a great example of the role of infographics.

For my Strategies for Visual research project (SVR) I chose to reserach info-graphics to see how they work and help me learn how to effec-tively construct info-graphics. AtfirstIwantedtolookatinfo-graphicsasIfelt they were a good way of clearly and precise-ly showing information to people. I was interest-ed in how they could be used to show informa-tion in a clinical and objective way and also how they could be manipulated to give a sjubjective twist to facts and data. Over the course of the project this focus changed from the ‘ethics’ of info-graphics to looking at the construction of info-graphics and ways of systematizing their construction for future usage. During the project I consulted a wide range ofresourcesandlookedbrieflyatthephysicalconstruction of info-graphics as well as their theoretical construction. These resources were from the web, books, magazines and examples I found out and about. I believe that info-graphics are close to be-ing something that could be described as ‘pure graphic design’, in that their purpose is to com-municate information effectively to an audience. Examples include train timetables, food labels and manuals. That said, in my research I found plenty of examples of info-graphics that rely on more subjective communication. In analyzing examples and my own research I learnt how to group and order the information I found so that I could make sense of it and go on to create a system of constructing info-graphics. It was interesting to list visual techniques that could be combined and layered to create a far more compelling whole.

MY STRATEGIES FOR VISUAL RESEARCH

I constructed my own info-graphics to get a feel of how it was done and to create ways of displaying information. Thesewereearlyattemptsatfindingafocusonthe SVR project and weren’t based on any research in particular. These test pieces did help later on when I began to group techniques of how to rep-resent types of information. The information used to construct the graphics was simple and based on every day things close to hand.

EXPERIMENTS IN MAKING INFOGRAPHICS

1790MILLION

rounds used in 2005

19,000insurgents

killed

500,000tonnes of

ordnance used

CD COLLECTION FACTSHEET

ABBA Air Al Green Al Stewart Alanis Morisette Alcino Frazao Ali Farka Touré All Saints Amadou & Mariam Amy Winehouse Armenian Naval Band

The BandBarry White The Beach Boys The Beatles The Blues BrothersThe ByrdsBeautiful South Bee Gees Belly Betty Wright Beyoncé Bill Withers Billie Holiday Billy Bragg Billy JoelBlondieBlue Bob Dylan Bob Marley Bob Seger Bobby Womack Boz Scaggs Bruce Springsteen Buena Vista Social Club Buffalo Springfield Bunny WailerBurt Bacharach

Cat Stevens The ClashCher Coldplay

Daft Punk Damien RiceDavid Bowie David Gray De La Soul Dean Martin Debbie Harry Dennis BrownDexys Midnight Runners Donal Fagen Donna Summer The Doors The DriftersThe DublinersDoobie Brothers Dusty Springfield

The EaglesEast 17

Electric Light Orchestra Elkie Brooks Ella FitzgeraldElvis CostelloElvis Presley Ernest Ranglin

Findlay Quaye Fleetwood Mac Frank Sinatra Frank Zappa Fun Lovin’ Criminals

Gabrielle Genesis George Michael Gladys Knight Gwen McCrae

The Housemartins Happy Mondays Hot Club De France

Isley Brothers

The JacksonsJackson Browne Jackson Teagarden Jefferson Airplane Jimmy Cliff Joan Armatrading John Coltrane John HoltJohn Lee Hooker John LennonJohnny CashJoss StoneJudy Collins Justin Timberlake

Kaiser Chiefs Kanye West Kate & Anna McGarrigle The Kinks Kirsty MacColl

Labi SiffreLauryn Hill Led ZeppelinLeonard Cohen Lou RawlsLouis Armstrong

MadnessMadonna MadradeusThe Magic NumbersMamas & The Papas Martha Wainwright Marvin GayeMassive Attack Michael Jackson Michael McDonald Mike Theodrakis

Miles Davis Moby Mozart Ms. Dynamite

Neil Diamond Neil Young Nick Drake Nicole Appleton Nina Simone Norayr Karfashian

OasisOtis Redding

Patti Smith Group Pet Shop Boys Peter GabrielPeter Tosh Phil Collins Pink Floyd PixiesThe Pogues Primal ScreamPrince Pulp

Redskins REM Robbie Williams Roberta Flack Rod Stewart The Rolling StonesRuben Gonzalez Ry Cooder

Seal Simon & Garfunkel Sinéad O’Connor SketchSouad Massi Spice GirlsSqueeze Steely Dan Stevie Wonder SugababesSupertramp

TchaikovskyThe The Tom Petty

The UndertonesUB40

Van Morrisson The Verve

The WhoWhitney Houston

A

B

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E

E

F

G

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USA42%

ENGLAND35%

CANADA4%

MALI1%

AUSTRIA.5%

ALGERIA.5%

JAMAICA4%

FRANCE2%

SCOTLAND1%

RUSSIA.5%

PORTUGAL1%

GREECE.5%

ARMENIA1%

CUBA1%

ALGERIASouad Massi

ARMENIAArmenian Naval Band Norayr Karfashian

AUSTRIAMozart

CANADAAlanis Morisette Kate & Anna McGarrigle Leonard Cohen Martha Wainwright Neil YoungNicole Appleton The Band

CUBABuena Vista Social Club Ruben Gonzalez

ENGLANDAll Saints Amy Winehouse Beautiful South Bee Gees Billy Bragg Blue Cat Stevens ColdplayDavid Bowie David Gray Dexys Midnight Runners Dusty Springfield East 17Electric Light Orchestra Elkie Brooks Elvis Costello Findlay Quaye Fleetwood Mac Gabrielle Genesis George Michael Happy Mondays Joan Armatrading

John Lennon Joss Stone Kaiser ChiefsKirsty MacColl Labi Siffre Led Zeppelin Madness Massive Attack Ms. Dynamite Nick Drake Oasis Pet Shop BoysPeter GabrielPhil Collins Pink FloydPulp RedskinsRobbie WilliamsRod Stewart Seal Sketch Spice Girls Squeeze Sugababes Supertramp The Beatles

The Clash The Housemartins The Kinks The Magic Numbers The Pogues The Rolling Stones The The The Verve The Who UB40

FRANCEAirDaft PunkHot Club De France

GREECEMike Theodrakis

IRELANDDamien Rice Sinéad O’Connor The Dubliners The Undertones Van Morrisson

PERECENTAGE OF ARTISTS FROM:

JAMAICABob Marley Bunny Wailer Dennis Brown Ernest Ranglin Jimmy Cliff John Holt Peter Tosh

MALIAli Farka Touré Amadou & Mariam

PORTUGALAlcino Frazao Madradeus

SCOTLANDAl Stewart Primal Scream

SWEDENABBA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICAAl Green Barry White Belly Betty Wright Beyoncé Bill Withers Billie Holiday Billy Joel Blondie Bob Dylan Bob Seger Bobby Womack Boz Scaggs Bruce Springsteen Buffalo Springfield Burt Bacharach Cher De La Soul Dean MartinDebbie Harry Donal Fagen Donna Summer Doobie Brothers

Ella Fitzgerald Elvis Presley Frank Sinatra Frank Zappa Fun Lovin’ Criminals Gladys Knight Gwen McCrae Isley Brothers Jackson Browne Jackson Teagarden Jefferson Airplane John Coltrane John Lee Hooker Johnny CashJudy Collins Justin Timberlake Kanye West Lauryn Hill Lou RawlsLouis Armstrong Madonna Mamas & The Papas Marvin Gaye Michael Jackson Michael McDonald Miles Davis

Moby Neil Diamond Nina Simone Otis ReddingPatti Smith Group Pixies Prince REM Roberta Flack Ry Cooder Simon & Garfunkel Steely Dan Stevie Wonder The Beach Boys The Blues BrothersThe ByrdsThe Doors The DriftersThe Eagles The Jacksons Tom Petty Whitney Houston

RUSSIATchaikovsky

IRELAND 6%

1/2

Type sizes:

Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Regular

Sex-charged fop blew my junk TV quiz (12pt)















Shape/Line/Gradient reproduction

Circles:

Radius from left to right: 15mm, 10mm,

7.5mm, 5mm and 2.5mm.

Line weights:

20pt to 0.25pt from left to right.

Gradient:

100% Black to the white of stock.

Distance between me and them:

My Favourite Film:

City Of God (2002)

Fernando Meirelles

Kátia Lund

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Distance: 9289 km

My Favourite Musician:

Bob Dylan

Malibu, United States of America

Distance: 8787 km

My Favourite Comedian:

Russell Brand

London, England

Distance: 15 km

My Favourite Breed Of Dog:

German Shepherd

London, England

Distance: 0 km

My Favourite Illustrator:

Jasper Goodall

Brighton, England

Distance: 75 km

Screen Print Infographic Test

Pearse O’Shea BA Top Up

November 16th

Me

Dis

tanc

e in

kilo

met

ers

(min

= 0

km

, max

= 9

289

km)

ImadethisshortlyaftertheSVRbriefing.Itwasbased on the amount of women vs the amount of men I saw in three situations, the bar, smok-ing area and the library. I used the pink dots to represent women and the grey ones to show men. I then arranged the dots in two situations toreflectthesituationtheywerein.¬

FEMALES AND MALES

This graphic was made so that I could test the print quality of different weights and sizes of the elements of an info-graphic when screen printed. The graphic was a rough diagram of my favourite things and their proximity to me.I never printed the graphic because it wasn’t rel-evant to the focus I decided on.

INFO-TEST

Type sizes:

















Shape/Line/Gradient reproduction

Circles:

Radius from left to right: 15mm, 10mm,

7.5mm, 5mm and 2.5mm.

Line weights:

20pt to 0.25pt from left to right.

Gradient:

100% Black to the white of stock.

Distance between me and them:

My Favourite Film:

City Of God (2002)

Fernando Meirelles

Kátia Lund

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Distance: 9289 km

My Favourite Musician:

Bob Dylan

Malibu, United States of America

Distance: 8787 km

My Favourite Comedian:

Russell Brand

London, England

Distance: 15 km

My Favourite Breed Of Dog:

German Shepherd

London, England

Distance: 0 km

My Favourite Illustrator:

Jasper Goodall

Brighton, England

Distance: 75 km

Screen Print Infographic Test

Pearse O’Shea BA Top Up

November 16th

Me

Dis

tanc

e in

kilo

met

ers

(min

= 0

km

, max

= 9

289

km)

I took down all the details of my cousin’s CD collection (which was pretty big) and used this information as a basis for a two page fact sheet. I showed a variety of different information on the sheet, showing where the artists were from, what periods they had recorded in, what were the most popular genres etc. I used maps, sym-bols and illustrations to communicate the infor-mation about the CD collection.

CD COLLECTIONFACTSHEET

Sketch of layout


POP30 artists

ROCK74 artists

Genres 2 Classical1 Country4 Electronic14 Ethnic3 Folk6 Indie

5 Jazz 30 Pop7 Raggae74 Rock15 Soul

CLASSICALMozart Tchaikovsky

COUNTRYJohnny Cash

ELECTRONICAir Daft PunkMassive Attack Moby

ETHNICAlcino FrazaoAli Farka TouréAmadou And MariamArmenian Naval BandBuena Vista Social ClubKirsty MacCollMadradeusMike TheodrakisNorayr KarfashianRuben GonzalezSouad MassiThe DublinersThe Pogues

FOLKAl StewartJudy CollinsKate & Anna McGarrigle

INDIEAlanis MorisetteDamien RiceDavid GrayFindlay QuayeHappy MondaysThe Magic Numbers

JAZZBillie HolidayElla FitzgeraldHot Club De FranceLou RawlsLouis Armstrong

POPABBAAll SaintsBeautiful SouthBee GeesBeyoncéBlueBurt BacharachCherDexy’s Midnight RunnersDusty Springfield

East 17Frank SinatraGabrielleGeorge MichaelJustin TimberlakeLauryn HillMadonnaMichael JacksonMichael McDonaldNicole AppletonPet Shop BoysRobbie WilliamsRod StewartSealSpice GirlsSqueezeSugababesThe HousemartinsThe JacksonsUB40Whitney Houston

RAGGAEBob MarleyBunny WailerDennis BrownErnest RanglinJimmy CliffJohn HoltPeter Tosh

ROCKBellyBilly BraggBilly JoelBlondieBob DylanBob SegerBoz ScaggsBruce SpringsteenBuffalo SpringfieldCat StevensColdplayDavid BowieDean MartinDebbie HarryDonal FagenDobie BrothersElectric Light OrchestraElvis CostelloElvis PresleyFleetwood MacFrank ZappaFun Lovin’ CriminalsGenesisJackson BrowneJackson TeagardenJefferson AirplaneJoan ArmatradingJohn ColtraneJohn Lee HookerJohn LennonKaiser ChiefsLed Zeppelin

Leonard CohenMadnessMamas and the PapasMartha WainwrightMiles DavisNeil DiamondNeil YoungNick DrakeNina SimoneOasisOtis ReddingPeter GabrielPhil CollinsPink FloydPixiesPrimal ScreamPrincePulpRedskinsREMRy CooderSimon And GarfunkelSinéad O’ConnorSketchSteely DanSupertrampThe BandThe Beach BoysThe BeatlesThe Blues BrothersThe ByrdsThe ClashThe DoorsThe DriftersThe EaglesThe KinksThe Rolling StonesThe TheThe UndertonesThe VerveThe WhoTom Petty Van Morrisson

SOULAl GreenAmy WinehouseBarry WhiteBetty WrightBill WithersBobby WomackDonna SummerElkie BrooksGladys KnightGwen McCraeIsley BrothersJoss StoneJudy CollinsLabi SiffreMarvin GayeStevie Wonder

45

1%Of Artists came to fame in the 1920s.

3%of Artists came to fame in the 1930s or 40s

7% of Artists came to fame in the 1950s

27%of Artists came to fame in the 1960s




6%of Artists came to fame after the year 2000

1%of Artists came to fame before the year 1900

2/2


ABBA Air Al Green Al Stewart Alanis Morisette Alcino Frazao Ali Farka Touré All Saints Amadou & Mariam Amy Winehouse Armenian Naval Band

The BandBarry White The Beach Boys The Beatles The Blues BrothersThe ByrdsBeautiful South Bee Gees Belly Betty Wright Beyoncé Bill Withers Billie Holiday Billy Bragg Billy JoelBlondieBlue Bob Dylan Bob Marley Bob Seger Bobby Womack Boz Scaggs Bruce Springsteen Buena Vista Social Club Buffalo Springfield Bunny WailerBurt Bacharach

Cat Stevens The ClashCher Coldplay

Daft Punk Damien RiceDavid Bowie David Gray De La Soul Dean Martin Debbie Harry Dennis BrownDexys Midnight Runners Donal Fagen Donna Summer The Doors The DriftersThe DublinersDoobie Brothers Dusty Springfield

The EaglesEast 17

Electric Light Orchestra Elkie Brooks Ella FitzgeraldElvis CostelloElvis Presley Ernest Ranglin

Findlay Quaye Fleetwood Mac Frank Sinatra Frank Zappa Fun Lovin’ Criminals

Gabrielle Genesis George Michael Gladys Knight Gwen McCrae

The Housemartins Happy Mondays Hot Club De France

Isley Brothers

The JacksonsJackson Browne Jackson Teagarden Jefferson Airplane Jimmy Cliff Joan Armatrading John Coltrane John HoltJohn Lee Hooker John LennonJohnny CashJoss StoneJudy Collins Justin Timberlake

Kaiser Chiefs Kanye West Kate & Anna McGarrigle The Kinks Kirsty MacColl

Labi SiffreLauryn Hill Led ZeppelinLeonard Cohen Lou RawlsLouis Armstrong

MadnessMadonna MadradeusThe Magic NumbersMamas & The Papas Martha Wainwright Marvin GayeMassive Attack Michael Jackson Michael McDonald Mike Theodrakis

Miles Davis Moby Mozart Ms. Dynamite

Neil Diamond Neil Young Nick Drake Nicole Appleton Nina Simone Norayr Karfashian

OasisOtis Redding

Patti Smith Group Pet Shop Boys Peter GabrielPeter Tosh Phil Collins Pink Floyd PixiesThe Pogues Primal ScreamPrince Pulp

Redskins REM Robbie Williams Roberta Flack Rod Stewart The Rolling StonesRuben Gonzalez Ry Cooder

Seal Simon & Garfunkel Sinéad O’Connor SketchSouad Massi Spice GirlsSqueeze Steely Dan Stevie Wonder SugababesSupertramp

TchaikovskyThe The Tom Petty

The UndertonesUB40

Van Morrisson The Verve

The WhoWhitney Houston

A

B

C

D

E

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

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V

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USA42%

ENGLAND35%

CANADA4%

MALI1%

AUSTRIA.5%

ALGERIA.5%

JAMAICA4%

FRANCE2%

SCOTLAND1%

RUSSIA.5%

PORTUGAL1%

GREECE.5%

ARMENIA1%

CUBA1%

ALGERIASouad Massi

ARMENIAArmenian Naval Band Norayr Karfashian

AUSTRIAMozart

CANADAAlanis Morisette Kate & Anna McGarrigle Leonard Cohen Martha Wainwright Neil YoungNicole Appleton The Band

CUBABuena Vista Social Club Ruben Gonzalez

ENGLANDAll Saints Amy Winehouse Beautiful South Bee Gees Billy Bragg Blue Cat Stevens ColdplayDavid Bowie David Gray Dexys Midnight Runners Dusty Springfield East 17Electric Light Orchestra Elkie Brooks Elvis Costello Findlay Quaye Fleetwood Mac Gabrielle Genesis George Michael Happy Mondays Joan Armatrading

John Lennon Joss Stone Kaiser ChiefsKirsty MacColl Labi Siffre Led Zeppelin Madness Massive Attack Ms. Dynamite Nick Drake Oasis Pet Shop BoysPeter GabrielPhil Collins Pink FloydPulp RedskinsRobbie WilliamsRod Stewart Seal Sketch Spice Girls Squeeze Sugababes Supertramp The Beatles

The Clash The Housemartins The Kinks The Magic Numbers The Pogues The Rolling Stones The The The Verve The Who UB40

FRANCEAirDaft PunkHot Club De France

GREECEMike Theodrakis

IRELANDDamien Rice Sinéad O’Connor The Dubliners The Undertones Van Morrisson

PERECENTAGE OF ARTISTS FROM:

JAMAICABob Marley Bunny Wailer Dennis Brown Ernest Ranglin Jimmy Cliff John Holt Peter Tosh

MALIAli Farka Touré Amadou & Mariam

PORTUGALAlcino Frazao Madradeus

SCOTLANDAl Stewart Primal Scream

SWEDENABBA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICAAl Green Barry White Belly Betty Wright Beyoncé Bill Withers Billie Holiday Billy Joel Blondie Bob Dylan Bob Seger Bobby Womack Boz Scaggs Bruce Springsteen Buffalo Springfield Burt Bacharach Cher De La Soul Dean MartinDebbie Harry Donal Fagen Donna Summer Doobie Brothers

Ella Fitzgerald Elvis Presley Frank Sinatra Frank Zappa Fun Lovin’ Criminals Gladys Knight Gwen McCrae Isley Brothers Jackson Browne Jackson Teagarden Jefferson Airplane John Coltrane John Lee Hooker Johnny CashJudy Collins Justin Timberlake Kanye West Lauryn Hill Lou RawlsLouis Armstrong Madonna Mamas & The Papas Marvin Gaye Michael Jackson Michael McDonald Miles Davis

Moby Neil Diamond Nina Simone Otis ReddingPatti Smith Group Pixies Prince REM Roberta Flack Ry Cooder Simon & Garfunkel Steely Dan Stevie Wonder The Beach Boys The Blues BrothersThe ByrdsThe Doors The DriftersThe Eagles The Jacksons Tom Petty Whitney Houston

RUSSIATchaikovsky

IRELAND 6%

1/2

For this graphic I looked at how something physically awkward to see (the ratio of adverts to content in a magazine) could be shown sim-ply using graphics. I compared two magazines, WIREDandGrafik. I also laid out WIRED magazine pages as 3D rectangles on an isometric grid, to give the graphic depth.

MAGAZINECOMPARISON

Adverts: 20%

Content: 80%

1 - 58

59 - 108

GRAFIK - 108 pages (including front and back cover). 86 CONTENT PAGES 22 ADVERT PAGES

1 - 58

59 - 117

117 - 175

WIRED - 174 pages (including front and back cover)

114 CONTENT PAGES 60 ADVERT PAGES

Content: 66%

Adverts: 44%

WIRED and GRAFIK MAGAZINEHow Much Is Adverts and How Much Is Content

I wanted to experiment with showing the same data but with different backgrounds, to see how muchtheimageinfluencedthe‘tone’theinfor-mation was communicated in. I took statistics from the Iraq war as a starting point.

INFLUENCE ON INFORMATION

4,362USA

179UK139

other

1790MILLION

rounds used in 2005

500,000tonnes of

ordnance used

94,008civilianskilled

1790MILLION

rounds used in 2005

19,000insurgents

killed

500,000tonnes of

ordnance used

I began to analyze lots of different examples of info-graphics, to try and determine if there were any simi-larities between them and also how they worked. I looked at different reseources for these graphics; the web, books, magazines and also ones I found myself on my travels. By looking at the information being shown and in what style I began to see how info-graphics were be-ing constructed and how beneath the style or media there seemed to be recurring modes of communicat-ing that information. For instance, a city scape ren-deredtoincludetheworld’stopfivetallestbuildingsis far more sophisticated than a bar chart, but both graphics operate on the same principles. By looking and analyzing info-graphics and look-ing for these underlying modes of communicating information I began to gather together different examples in groups of similarity.

ANALYSINGINFO-GRAPHICS

RESOURCES

WEB:

The internet has a number of high quality blogs and sites dedicated to information graphics. They can also be commonly seen as editorial content, though not usually very creative. I looked at a number of websites and blogs not only to gather examples but also as research for other resources, like sourcing books on info-graphics etc. www.informationisbeautiful.net

www.visualcomplexity.com

www.good.is

www.feltron.com

www.guardian.co.uk

The web also opens up further possibilities of interactivity with info-graphics, or info-graphics that react to data from RSS feeds etc. These in-teractive graphics are updateble and can provide information that is far more up to date.

RESOURCES

BOOKS and MAGAZINES:

I looked at a number of books to read up on theory of info-graphics and also to collect exam-ples.MagazineslikeGrafikandCreativeReviewhad articles and reports on info-graphics that also helped my research.

I looked at books such as Data Flow, Envisioning Information by Edward Tufte, Information is Beauti-ful, David McCandless.

ANALYSIS

I gathered the examples together and grouped them according to similarity, like if they were con-structed with photos then these examples would go together, or if the graphic was based on a circle then these would be grouped. I took note of the type of information or what was being communicated and wrote down notes in a scrapbook.

PHOTOSPhotos in infographicsPhotos have the benefit of being strong visuals but I think are much harder to derive information from, opposed to straight up and simple vectors and areas of colour/size etc.

With a photo you have way more connotations and might run the risk of obscuring the information or offending someone, even fickle things like the men in the pic below look out of place. Also, is that an Ocean? Why is Los Angeles so dull?

Photos can make images more engaging and input a human element, which in turn could raise ethical questions of manipulation etc...

The photos don’t make immediate sense to me, do they represent people... Not really helping the graphic, if there was a better link between the info and the photos maybe it would be more engaging.

This is pretty engaging and humourous, although the infographic would function well without the photo.

This one is to show where youare most likely to be stabbed, but the info has come second to the photo, there isno structure or mapping to aid communication,also some might find the photo offensive ordistasteful...

The info is in the photo, the viewer engages the photo to getthe info, unlike the religion one where the info and photo are seperatebut related. Not sure if it’s very good for the casual reader, but it could be entertaining to people conducting laborious research.

CIRCLESGraphics that use circles to structure infoThe circle is used often to represent differences in area, volume, mass etc... It is also used to arrange information, especially for the purpose of have a circular area blank to link different points of

information, like in the examples directly below.The circle also is a pie chart or an arrow that loops onto itself, a plotting point in a map.Composition wise the circle in the middle of the page acts as a focus for the eye, harder for the eye to

escape from. Usually the information or statistic is inside the circle, at its center. Or the information is set around the circumference, useful because the eye leaves the focus point of the circle and passes along the circumference.

I noted what information was being shown by the graphics and how I thought the graphics worked. I began to group together similar graphics in PDF files.

Example of grouping info-graphics based around circles. I gathered the examples together in a PDF and wrote up a short analysis on each one. I did this until I had a number of headings to organise my found examples by.

This info-graphic shows how the sub-prime mortgage situation came about. It uses a flowchart to guide the viewer through the explanation, giving the information in small digestible chunks that is aided by visuals and icons.

Using typography to highlight the most prominent countries in rela-tion to HIV infection due to drug use. It shows information on a map, the familiarity people have with maps aids the communication and impact.

A chart of hierarchial information giving deatils of a fantastical society. The image gives a context to what the information (type) is referring to, giving the over all piece an extra layer of depth.

A diagram that shows various fac-ets of information on refugees and their status. The layout and graph-ics make the information digestible and clear.

GROUPING AND RECOGNISING TYPES OF INFO

I continued to group the examples I collected and analysed. This led me to creating new headings as I found out that the ones I had before were too broad and based on aesthet-ics (ie, circles, photos, illustrations). I began to look at the examples and note down what types of information were shown. I did this with a lot of examples and wrote the types down on post-its. I grouped similar typestogetherandrefinedthegroupsuntilIwasleftwithfive,eachbeingadifferenttypeof information. Grouping the examples based on what I saw in them led me onto the next step of my project and gave me a focus as to what to do.

TYPES AND TECHNIQUESUp to this point I had been grouping based on the types of data. I began to look closer at the types of data and the way they were con-structed. I made a list of different techniques commonlyusedtoconstructdata(identifiedby me) and saw that these overlapped across the types of data. These techniques varied in how they were applied across different types of information but generally worked in the same way.

Graphs

Change in colourBar Chart

++++++++++++++++++

Image Repetition

Area

Circles

=HOTEL

Key/Legend

%PercentagePie Chart

Change over time

YES NO

JA’NA’MEAN?

Flow Chart

N

EW

S

MappingVenn Diagram

!@£Symbols

Cloud

TYPES OF INFORMATION

TECHNIQUES

AMOUNT

Amount can show the size, volume, area of something. A circle of different sizes can be shown so that the amount of unemployment can be visualised, or the area of land wast-age...Amount can be visualised in many differ-ent ways and is often used in conjunction with other types to produced a layered and informational graphic.

CLOUD

CIRCLES

PERCENTAGE

The cloud can be used to show amount by representing each unit of measurement as a graphic clustered together. When people use the cloud to construct info-graphics they often show the interconnectivity between the units of what they are showing, like website users (amount) and their relation to eachother (connections).

Circles are often used to represent amount in a number of ways. One way is by using the circle to highlight the (amount of) area effect-ed, like a blast radius for example. Or to high-light the area that a service covers. Another way circles are used is that their relative size is related to amount - the bigger the circle the bigger the amount.

Placing a percentage into an info-graphic (on a map for example) is a simple way of telling the viewer how much of something there is (or isn’t).

BAR CHARTS

PIE CHART

CHANGE IN COLOUR

Bar charts are an effective way of commu-nicating the aount of something by placing similar shaped objects next to each other and relying on their relative size to eachother to express the measurements. The objects don’t have to be bars, but need to follow the same principles of a bar chart.

Pie charts are another trusted way of express-ing amount. They work by using an object to represent the whole and portions of that to represent portions of the whole.

Change in colour can be used to show amount, especially change in amount. One colour could represent the maximum value and the other the minimum, change in colour from one to the other can show the change in amount.

AREAArea is used to show things like acres of land, land usage, the size of an area. Area covered could also relate to the amount of something, similar in working to the pie chart. For exam-ple an area of one meter squared might be 100% and other smaller areas act as portions of this.

TREND

Trends show the movements of people, animals, elements etc. It shows gener-ally their behaviour - this could be buying habits, routes to work, what sort of food is eaten when eating out etc.I think the main thing about trends is that they often need to show a type of informa-tion but over time, so that behaviour can be cross referenced or compared to another point in tim.Trends could forgo the element of time though if they become decriptive of some-thing. A graphic could show that people from urban areas are more savvy than rural dwellers, which would support a trend but not neccesarly show it’s effect over time.

CLOUD

CIRCLES

The cloud can be used to show how differ-ent users (nodes) behave. These sort of clouds are formed by showing how numerous dif-ferent users behave, where they visit etc, and the cross overs in their paths provide further trend data.

Circles can be used to show trend. By over-laying circles that represent different statis-tics over time you can visualise the growth or reduction of something.

MAPPING

PERCENTAGES

BAR CHART

By visualising a trend by mapping data to a map or diagram it can be easier to see how the trend is occurring, or where. For example, you could see the trend of a clique of people on a Saturday about town, or the patterns of movement of wild animals across an area of land.

Can be used to to show the percentage of people doing one thing in relation to the per-centage of those who don’t do it. A clear and simple way of showing the trends of a group, especially for something like showing popu-larity or fashions.

A bar chart is a simple way of showing how a trend develops over time. It could be the sales of a product over time or the amount of people emigrating.

PIE CHARTA pie chart can be used to show a trend, especially if numerous charts were used in conjunction to show development over time.

TREND cont.

REPETITION OF SYMBOL

CHANGE IN COLOUR

CHANGE OVER TIME

Repetition of a symbol can be used to show a trend, the symbols representing something - like females vs males.

Change in colour shows, over time, a trend. A simple example would be red to blue to show the losing of a teams support over time. Change in colour may also show a peak in a trend or a low point.

A time line could be used to mark events in a trends history, or be used in conjunction with a simple graph to show different statistics during the course of a trend’s development.

MAPPING

CIRCLES

AREA

MAPPING

CHANGE OVER TIME

Circles are commonly used to denote points on a map/diagram or areas of interest. They could be used to point out an affected area on a map.

Much the same principle as circles, showing area is another way of communicating the location of something on a map/diagram.

Marking points on a map to show where something is. Can be used easily in conjunc-tion with trends to show both the location of something and it’s behaviour.

Plot the place of something over time and show it’s movements by constructing a graph-ic that can show the previous and present locations.

This type is often used with a map to show geographically affected areas, the where and how much. It can show where exactly tourists are going or what area of a town they are visiting.It can often be used in conjunction with AMOUNT, like if it is necessary to show where something is but also it’s size. Map-ping could also be seen as indicating where something is, possi- bly in a graphic of the anatomy.

CONNECTIONS

CLOUD

MAPPING

GRAPHS

Showing the interconnections of things can be done with a cloud, where the criss-cross-ing lines represent the connections.

Using a map you can track how different subjects travel (for example) and how they connect to eachother over a period of time. An example would be the cliche of strings on a map used by police to track a criminal.

Graphs with multiple curves can show how two things connect and react to eachother.

This kind is based on how things relate to eachother, under many forms (geographically, socially etc). Intersections of things are commonly shown, such as the overlap of ethnicities in an area or the relationships of different people in a network.It is useful for visualizing the effects things or people have on eachother. A common example is a venn diagram where the inter-section of two areas means that their inter-action changes what they are or do.

VENN DIAGRAMThe connections between things can be suc-cinctly shown using venn diagrams, where the overlaps are the connections.

LEGENDIcons and symbols can link things together and aid navigation, the icons and symbols be-ing decipherable by way of a legend or key.

PROCESS

Process is commonly used in the form of flowcharts and use to explain hierarchy or how different parts of a whole work together.Things such as a military chain of com- mand are simply explained. Some are more “interactive” in that the process can allow for a personal reading by offering different “paths” based on the viewers choices.Process is useful as it can explain quickly complex systems by showing the viewer how it works step by step.

FLOWCHARTFlowcharts are used to show how a process works. They can be used to show decision making, or the steps in a system/way of doing things. They show the viewer a step by step guide that can break down complex processes into something clearer.

CHANGE OVER TIMEProcess can be shown by visualising how it works over time, for instance steps on a time line. Showing how a process works over time can give a better understanding of how it works.

PROCESSINGIexperimentedbrieflywiththepro-gram Processing. Processing allows the user to input code which is then inter-preted visually by the program based on values set by the user. It accepts data from spreadsheets etc and can then output this as graphics. Processing is a very versatile program that can make use of many technolo-gies and is user developed. Processing is used in conjunction with data to produce images that are abstract and aesthetically pleasing, the aesthetics being decided by values inputted by the user and also the varia-bles of the data. The artwork is a visual of the data. Processing can output graphics as eps line drawings so that they can be further edited.

Processing “sketch” gotten from input of basic code.

COLLECTED IMAGES

Throughout the project I took snap-shots of graphics I saw out and about that I thought had relevance to the graphic communication of information.

Strategies For Visual Research - Infographics

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