Infographics

It is a visual representation of information and data. By combining elements of text image, chart, diagram and, more recently, video, an infographic is an effective tool to present data and explain complex issues in a way that can quickly lead to insight and better understanding. In the past few years, the news industry has seen also the rise of data journalism and storytelling with data, while the Internet has present itself as the perfect platform for more complex data based narratives and visualizations.

        The term “infographics” has expanded to many industries in the past decade, becoming a powerful communication tool for businesses, governments and educational institutions. There's a whole new audience of professionals interested in presenting data in a more compelling, insightful and engaging way.

The history of infographics

Some of the amazing men and women in ancient time period paved the way by combining art, science, and statistics. William Playfair is considered the father of statistical graphics, having invented the line and bar chart we use so often today. He is also credited with having created the area and pie chart. Playfair was a Scottish engineer and political economist who published The Commercial and Political Atlas in 1786.

Peter Sullivan

Peter Sullivan was a British graphic designer best known for infographics he created for The Sunday Times in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s. His book Newspaper Graphics is still one of the few books focusing on information graphics in newspapers.

A good infographic

It should have the ability to walk through different phases, offering facts and intriguing visuals along the way. The flow of infographic can be controlled using numbers, headers, color, white space, pictures, and charts. The number one job is to show people the data. This is why it should be aimed to have the proper balance of charts and visual elements. 

for example -