Infographics: Written Reflection & Linear Progression

I always find myself becoming excited when I see good information graphics. I think it has something to do with the combination of useful information or facts and an interesting design. Although I have a interest in this, I've found it to be more difficult for me to present in a clear way than I had first anticipated. Translating the way that I process the given information needs to align with they way that others collect visual information. Often times, I've found that these sometimes don't match up in the places that they need to. Without knowing exactly what to expect, I gathered a lot of different, and sometimes unnecessary, information over Spring Break that fit into each of the required categories; time-based, numerical comparison and location. I tried to gather information that could be put into groups together. Within this, I found that my "Location" based information would be best represented by showing each of the different countries on a map. As I reflect on this choice, I would like to not have chosen to work with a map as an information graphic for the simple reason of redundancy. My first round of paper prototypes resulted in weak attempts to arrange my educational data in its spatial environment and successfully integrate my icons into each composition. Although this was the first step in the process, I feel like this is one I always tend to overlook when it should be one of the most important. The second round of paper prototypes brought a few more ideas that I could work with. Based on this second round, I vectored the chosen directions and created more digital iterations. Within this time period, I did a few analog thumbnails that aided in expressing different and more interesting arrangements of my data, icons and type. After my digital translations, it became clear that I needed to add other elements to each design in order for it to be visually engaging. Taking one element from each infographic, I chose to include a photograph of that element (i.e. Steam for "Tea" and Pillow for "Sleep"). In addition to this, color became an important part as I thought about its role in my magazine spreads as well as the meaning behind the information that I was presenting.

(Better quality images of the physical magazine spread will be posted at a later date)

Linear Progression:
Research Tea within the category of "Location":
Initial Paper Prototype (Specifically focusing on "Location"):
Paper Prototype Iterations:


Thumbnails
(I realized later that this step was probably supposed to be digital but I think that going back to analog work
and sketching out ideas really helped to develop the information, even at this point in the process):
Vector Prototype:
Digital Iterations:



Final Digital Iterations
(During this part of the process I was searching for additional elements to the vectored ideas. I drew the map in my own hand and added photographs to attempt at making the infographics visually interesting):




Final Infographic:
Final infographic inserted in spread: