Merge

In the windowed world, where you can easily click through dozens of tabs at a time, it is hard to catch the Internet user's attention.  You may decide to create an informational graphic to ensure the audience gets the data they need quickly, but how are you sure they will even know it's there?  If you break the four myths of infographics, you won't need to worry about the audience taking note of your page.

Myth #1: It's a number, so I can just put it in a chart or graph, slap it on my page, and move on

An informational graphic should do exactly as its title dictates it's going to do: convey information.  Moreover, this information should be absolutely necessary, communicate a story, and be relevant.  Just because you own an Elvis fan page and you recently found out every statistic available on every record he ever sold, doesn't mean you need to publish all of them in the form of a highly detailed Excel sheet.  As the influential informational designer Edward Tufte may say, rid yourself of "chartjunk," non-informative or obstructing designs and statistics.  You may also want to think about the spin you are giving on the information.  Suppose you are told to publish statistics that show 70% of Internet viewers want to look at infographics.  You can choose to publish it as given, or emphasize that only 30% of viewers prefer not to see a graphic.  Perhaps you can find even more data that shows 40% of people thought this last year.  You have just taken a statistic and made it into a relevant story.

Myth #2: Pie graphs are circles and bar graphs are thick lines

There is no rule that states a pie graph has to be a plain circle. Peter Sullivan, of the Sunday Times and Nigel Holmes, of Time Magazine, pioneered the technique of turning charts and graphs into pictures.  They showed the world that a pie chart about music should be shaped into musical notes on a staff, not depicted as round, meaningless circles.  Moreover, when working with maps, MapQuest does not always tell the reader what you want them to know.  Catering maps to potential clients goes a long way; after all, how will they become a future customer if they cannot even get to you?

Myth #3: I can just copy and paste a chart from Word onto my site, what's the difference?

Optimally, the graphic will not only convey information about your company, but build up the brand and cut the clutter at the same time.  For every informative, eye-catching graphic, there must be 30 default MS Word charts and graphs.  Should you choose to use a default graph, just remember that you are more likely to build up the office software's brand than your own.

Myth #4: I shouldn't need to, or I don't want to, hire a designer to create an infographic

So where do you get a great informational graphic?  Designers who contain the skills and technology needed to create stunning and original infographics do work outside of National Geographic and USA Today.    So next time you boot up MS Word and insert a chart, think twice about turning your Web site into the creatively lacking blog, graphjam.com.  At the very least, do your company and brand a favor: play around with the colors, font, and background. More importantly, face the facts.  It may seem silly to hire a designer for a task you can complete in 30 minutes in Word, but when you see what they can do in 30 minutes in a creative software, you will understand why it's so important to focus on your infographics instead of adding them in as a last-minute filler!

Carolyn Rumsey is a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications.  She spent time at Merge learning the operations of a web design company, and was asked to be a guest writer in her area of expertise.  Her personal portfolio, including her infographics and contact information, can be viewed at carolynrumsey.com.