The rise of the infographic
Marketers, designers, and public relations professionals constantly strive for engagement. We want people to consume our messaging, and we’d prefer for them to enjoy doing so. Thus, we develop ways to marry content and entertainment in hopes of engaging the minds and hearts of our target audiences. One way of translating data into visual creativity is commonly known as the infographic.
Infographics are a fun way to consume data that have exploded in popularity during recent years. They’ve been warmly embraced lately by experienced web surfers, info junkies, and especially the social media community. Here at Walker Sands, when someone finds a particularly enlightening or visually dramatic graphic, we share it with enthusiasm through emails and tweets. My recent favorites include some graphics that deal with important social issues, (obesity, gun control) and others that are simply well designed time-wasters that classify different types of geeks or teach you how to read minds. Then there’s this gem that’s shown above: a graphic that measures caffeine content vs. calories of various beverages. That may be the most relevant and informative one I’ve found yet.
As a designer, and particularly an admirer of elegant typography and clever illustration, I am consistently impressed with and inspired by good infographics. Judging by their rise in popularity in both the marketing and web surfing communities, I’m definitely not alone. What are some of your favorites? Do you have a favorite site/blog that posts great graphics?
P.S.: I’m Nick, a new member of the team here at Walker Sands, and this is my first post. Please feel free to connect with me on Twitter, and look for more of my posts here in the future!
Nick Gorski comes to Walker Sands as a 2010 graduate of Loyola University Chicago, where he double majored in visual communication and advertising/public relations. Nick is excited to handle the team's design needs and deliver top-quality work to clients. He hopes to leverage his current skill set as a productive member of the team, while continuing to constantly learn about technology and develop as a professional.
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