Just like baking a cake, the first thing you need is the idea, then, the ingredients and then last of course the presentation.
Idea. Well, this is for the client to come up with really, I want an infographic about one eyed purple people eaters! There...you then run with that.
Ingredients / Data, Narrative
This is the most basic component, if the data is weak then your cake will be a dry sponge that your clients will choke on. Not only do you want your data to be rigorously processed and organized (and verified) but you also want it laid out in the right order to make a narrative. Yes, your cake should tell a story. Time to scour the internet for information on one eyed purple people eaters...apparently they tend to have one horn as well...
This is the most basic component, if the data is weak then your cake will be a dry sponge that your clients will choke on. Not only do you want your data to be rigorously processed and organized (and verified) but you also want it laid out in the right order to make a narrative. Yes, your cake should tell a story. Time to scour the internet for information on one eyed purple people eaters...apparently they tend to have one horn as well...
The Narrative. The same data can be presented in a boring, hard to read, difficult to process way (like a long winded mathematical equation with more symbols than numbers) or it can be presented in such a manner that the viewer absorbs the information quickly and without much effort, (like a pie chart) this is what you are aiming for..not a pie though, a cake....bear with me. So, rather than just designing things to be pretty you should break them down into what they mean and basically translate them into visual representations that your viewer "gets"....in this case a one eyed one horned thing eating purple people (because when you read that at first you thought "the creature is purple"....but had you seen the image instead..ha!)
The presentation. Ok so you have the right data translated into images that tell a story that at a glance the viewer absorbs, now the questions is why on earth said viewer would even glance at your infographic? This is where the frosting comes into play, if you make it too thick it takes away from the cake. But if you make it just right the cake looks awesome and inviting without messing with the cake's moist deliciousness.
If all these elements are combined correctly, the result should be one that not only catches one's eye and relays information in a moment but also compels the viewer to share it! I mean really, who wants a cake all to himself? The whole point of the cake is to share it :)
The presentation. Ok so you have the right data translated into images that tell a story that at a glance the viewer absorbs, now the questions is why on earth said viewer would even glance at your infographic? This is where the frosting comes into play, if you make it too thick it takes away from the cake. But if you make it just right the cake looks awesome and inviting without messing with the cake's moist deliciousness.
If all these elements are combined correctly, the result should be one that not only catches one's eye and relays information in a moment but also compels the viewer to share it! I mean really, who wants a cake all to himself? The whole point of the cake is to share it :)
Ok, some examples I've made (thoughts?)
