Infographics are a bit of a buzzword in design circles these days, but put simply, it’s the use of an image to relay information to a reader.
Infographics are everywhere. That little green person at the traffic lights that tells you when to cross is an infographic. The no smoking sign on a restaurant window, is an infographic. Even the signs on bathroom doors are infographics. They are everywhere and they are super effective at telling a story.
Why our brains like infographics
Our brains are amazing machines that process information at lightning speed but our brains also like to be lazy. With our super short attention spans (thanks a lot smartphones!), our brains are looking for the easiest way to get as much information as possible. That’s why we like TV and movies, especially after a busy day at work.
In fact, the brain processes visual content 60,000 times faster than it does a block of text. It can understand meaning and emotion and other important information in a fraction of a second. That information helps us decide if we’re interested and if we’ll go to the trouble of finding out more.
The infographic test
Let’s try a little test. Which of these two examples is the most appealing to you as the reader?
Example a) text only
As at 30 June 2018, Foster and Kinship Carers had 828 active members on our database. 68% of those members are female and 32% male, with 10% of our members identifying as Aboriginal.
Example b) infographic
It’s the image isn’t it!? Now if you close your eyes, can you still see the infographic in your mind’s eye?
The facts about infographics
The fact is that infographics are hugely effective at getting a message across. In fact:
Visual information improves learning and retention by 400%.
Infographics are liked and shared 3x more on social media than any other kind of content
People following directions with illustrations did 323% better than those without illustrations
Infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than text
Incorporating colour increases the reader’s attention span by 82%
You can represent almost anything with an infographic and how it is presented, is limited only by your imagination and the imagination of your graphic designer.
Talk to your designer early on about the most important information in your document. They’ll have some great ideas on how to represent that information in a way that is going to be appealing and memorable. Your customers’ brains will thank you for it!
The infographic text and image sourced from Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT Annual Report 2017-18