Infographics have become one of the leading formats for presenting information in digital newspapers. We see them being used to show the weather, survey and poll results, government statistical data and all other complex information. It has grown as a delivery mechanism for digital news. Infographics tell the story visually with dense information, designed around the data with surprising creativity. They are a unique combination of text, data and graphics to create a visual representation of information. They are a visual narrative intended to present information quickly and clearly. Infographics use image patterns to help readers see how pieces of information relate to each other. There is a flow in the information typically with a beginning, middle and end to the visual story. Infographics are not graphs or graphics that stand alone without context to the story or data being shared. If the information could be more easily described in words, you shouldn’t be using an infographic. Infographics tell a visual story with data and should always show more than they tell whenever possible.

After this module, students should be able to: 

• Identify what story an infographic is telling, how the story is being told, what data is being shared, and why these strategies are used to tell the story

• Analyze infographics for commonalities and differences to effectively tell a visual story by identifying first impressions, main points, supporting data and the strategy used to construct them

• Select appropriate infographics for specific stories based on correct protocol