Creating Info Graphics

I produced a very useable infographic as my departmental annual report. This was a bit of a risk as I was fairly certain that our board members being middle aged or older business men may not have had a lot of experience of them. However, I was also told that they never read more than the front page and so however much effort was put in they would not read it all.

This was not a quick or easy option - first I had to learn how to use the infographics app, which was admittedly very easy albeit a bit fiddly. However it is the kind of thing I enjoy so it was not a chore. I collected together all the photos - my library had been open for a year when this report was compiled so it was easy to write - showing the journey from empty room with furniture still wrapped in plastic when I arrived here to vibrant hub of learning, reading and information that it is now.

After much adaptation, reformatting, changing things and rewriting of the text I was happy with it and sent it off. Unfortunately I heard no more but I assume it was all right or they would have complained.

I love some of the infographics I have come across and I love how creative people are with them. They can be very useful for planning linear events, especially perhaps if it is something you need to bid for funding as it is so much more attractive than the average powerpoint slide show. I think if things get very complicated then there is little to beat Excel but for most presentations infographics are very accessible - although it would be easy to have too much of them and whilst they are all different there is a come look and feel to all of them, despite the users best efforts to change them and so I suspect that after two or three years they will go the same way as all these things and be discarded for something new and even more technical - maybe animated infographics that you have to work hard to corral!

I will definitely use infographics again - just waiting for the right reason and then will get back to it. The fact that the app is online also helps to keep by rather over stuffed laptop emptier.

I would put my report up here but that would not be permitted.