Bob’s Project One and Info-graphic, version two, ED 653

Bob’s Project One

Original Post

February 24, 2015

EI Infographics

Week 5, Project 1, “make an infographic”

5 thoughts on “Bob’s Project One”

  1. Tatiana

    Hi Bob,

    this is a very nice attempt at creating a graphic. I like your use of colors. They work well for bringing attention to important elements of the content.
    I do have couple of suggestions… Because your graphic is really hard to read and follow as you have too many font sizes and text going different directions I would maybe situate the text one direction and use a very light background of different colors to help differentiate between it. Another solution would be to make all text the same size, but use bold style to emphasize between important and not so important elements. Using numbers might help to bring a little bit of order as well.

    Here are some examples of different infographics that might help:
    https://www.google.com/search?q=best+infographics&espv=2&biw=1300&bih=705&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kifuVPTcBoryoASo64HYAg&sqi=2&ved=0CEIQ7Ak#tbm=isch&q=best+simple+infographics&revid=986477565

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  2. Owen

    Hi Bob,

    I’m with Tatiana on her suggestions. This is a bit visually daunting. The design elements create a bit of a barrier to my perception of your intended meaning rather than easing my approach. Specifically, I like the four tiles with the arrows and associated text. The red circle with a slash, however, is jarring. I’m not sure about an intended order or pathway through these ideas? I like each point, however. Each has meaning or significance, but some sort of organization or pathway leading us or helping us find an “entrance” would be of assistance, and/or helping us prioritize your points.

    Visual design isn’t my strongest suit, so I understand where you’re coming from.

    I’d suggest maybe freeing yourself from the software. Print each piece of text, or write them down, cut separately, and see if you can’t arrange in some sort of flow, even if there are multiple points of entry/egress… Play around with the images and ideas and see if a pattern emerges.

    -Owen

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  3. Bob

    Thanks to both of you for suggestions. Thanks Owen for letting me leave the digital space, that actually is a very useful suggestion. Tatiana, I actually think this version sucks. It is too heavily dependent on text. However, the bind I’m struggling with is something I touched in thinking about Kim’s image. The switching between images and text creates a self-conscious switching and then interrogation. I rarely get through any examples of infographics because of the extensive work to make any sense out of them. I was trying unsuccessfully to limit that through staying with the text.

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  4. Kim

    Hi Bob,

    Your content is fantastic. Not only good training content, but also a lot of good reminders! I thought a bit about how I would simplify the organization, but, design is a really personal process and its hard to make suggestions when there are thousands of directions you could go. Here’s just one idea… create four pull out boxes with corresponding colors from the four boxes in the central graphic. Then group the text into the box that it most exemplifies. Like with like and color coded to the main idea. Have fun!

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  5. Owen

    I second Kim’s comment that this is some great content. Very substantive.

    Info-graphic, version two

    March 2, 2015

    Original Post

    EI infographic Version 2

    4 thoughts on “Info-graphic, version two”

    1. Kim

      Hi Bob,

      The source you sited, Susan Cain and The Power of Introverts caught my eye (because the redesign allowed for things to catch you eye!) so I went and looked her up. I listened to her TED talk…and LOVED it. Introvert as opposed to extrovert is a fundamental core difference in how people approach the world, and so often causes hard feelings and misunderstandings. She is beautifully eloquent on the topic and I just added her book to my summer reading list. Truth be told, I might not be able to wait:) Thanks!

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      1. Kim

        PS love the redoux.

        I would suggest you skip the top section. Your actual topic starts with the headline Develop Your EQ Today and the cute lead in adds cuteness but draws attention away from the power of the meat of your graphic.

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    2. Owen

      Much better! I really like this, Bob.

      I like the content at the top, the horrible bosses and beatings will continue (I’ve always liked that meme? Is that what one calls it?). I like what you’re going for – contrast. Maybe your design concept would be best served by a contrasting infographic? A whole piece centered around poor EQ practices, and poor management? That might be really fun to make, and read, and would open wide the door for your (now) strong piece on EQ. …

      Good work!
      -Owen

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    3. Bob

      You guys…. This is, for me, a complete joke. I have situated online gaming memes next to each other, the PvP pirate, and the rainbows and ponies of Carebears. I’m making light of the medium and of the topic (PvP pirates drink the tears of their Carebear victims — hardly in touch with their EQ).

      Owen’s suggestion to break the two into contrasting info-graphics is a good one. Creating the “horrible boss” one would be fun and probably such an exercise would force me to take the topic more seriously. Or, more probably I would be bad and find ways to burlesque the medium and topic even more with all the additional room.

      I have a new co-worker, she is a young librarian, and this is her first job with her new credentials. She is working on becoming our Social Science and Data expert. I stopped by her office the other day and she gave me a tour. One stop was her bulletin board decorated with info-graphics about data. I mentioned my struggle with image/text congruence how easily I get distracted by in-congruence. She just laughed at me. She pointed to one of the images which had a row of icons across the bottom, purely decorative.

      I think for me to make a good info-graphic is going to require a lot of work. First, is content. Second, is summarizing. Third, is making associations between images and ideas. Images that do real work. And I do think source citation has a place in a legit info-graphic. I don’t know… the irony is that to get good at it I would have to practice.

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