I started off by researching the basics of an infographic (what they are, what they're used for and what they contain) which naturally led me to research vast amounts of different infographics that varied in subjects, styles, layouts and colours. I particularly enjoyed researching all the different styles of infographics as it was very eye opening due to my lack of knowledge on the subject of infographics. By researching a variety of infoographics briefly it allowed me to quickly grasp the subject and its practicality. Because of my lack of knowledge most infographics i researched were inspiring in various ways, some colour schemes inpired me, some used illustrations, some were type based, some were clean and simple etc...
I haven't researched any particular artists for this project as there isnt that many specific artists that solely create infographics, therefore i found it easier to get the majority of my research came from a webiste called http://www.dailyinfographic.com/. Most infographics featured on this webiste are created by design agencies for companies that serve a purpose rather than to be works of art.
I found the most influential infographic i came across was the wordpress infographic created by Studio Muti. The infographic contained a vast variation of different methods on how to illustrate facts and statistics. I particularly found the pie charts interesting, it inspires me how they managed to keep it fresh and new for every pie chart but also made sure they tied in and all came together to create a uniform infographic rather than a mash up of bar and pie charts that have been forced together. I think the secret to its sucess was key features each pie chart had in common, they all used the same font and all used the same weighted lines, as well as the colour scheme.
I then went on to develop samples that were inspired by my infographic research but mainly by the wordpress and that's ADV baby infographic. For my samples i used a statistic i found on the internet about recyclling, particularly paper usage in the United States compared to the rest of the world. For my first samples i created 3D bar and pie charts experiment with paper and wood because of its relation to the statistic and its ease to create and manipulate, these samples sparked ideas in my head of creating one big 3D infographic made out of different materials. However, time issues and also relating it to typography which i stated i would create an inforgaphic on in my statement of intent created difficulties thus putting me off the idea.
I then went on to sample digitally, mainly influence by the wordpress infographic. I created a selection of bar and pie charts that varied in style but could all be related together if needed, these i hoped would be the basis for my final infograph as they were very basic, but could easily be developed further by combination and also a variety of colour schemes. I did eventually develop them a tad further by experimenting with colour schemes influenced by previous research but also colour suggested to me in my group critiques.
Once i felt i had undertaken a sufficient amount of sampling that would then allow me to develop my ideas into final infographic sections i set about gathering primary information that i could convey in my infographic. After hours of discussions and much deliberation i came to the conclusion that i was struggling to collate primary research on typography i.e statistics, views and facts. I saw this as a major downfall in my project as i said in my statement of intent my final infographic would be based on typographic information obtained by myself. However, after a group critique somebody suggested i did a basic survey of the class because the data was easy to collect, quick and easy. This fit perfect within my time frame and suited the project more than typography did, therefore in a review i explained why i veered away from my original statement.
I found the time plan i created to be very helpful during in the early stages of my final major project as it gave me guidence and i could easily refer back to it if i seemed lost or falling off track. However, during the late stages of the project i fell behind by a week because of my excessive research i undertook set me back some time and also when i got stuck in a rut about what subject to illustrate in my final infographic.
I quickly threw together a survey, asking the basic questions age, gender, subject area etc... This enabled me to set about transforming the raw figures into the final infographic, all the final bar and pie charts you see all stemmed from my early samples and developed heavily adding colour, details and text. The reason for just developing samples was the ease, because the process of starting from scratch would have taken far too long as it's a time consuming process.
I initially set out with the intentions to create a piece of design that was pleasing on the eye but also interested my audience, enabling them to read and understand my infographic with ease. I believe my final infographic meets all these targets because it has been proven through group critiques undertaken throughout the final few weeks.
My final inforgraphic exceeds all expectations i had, i particularly enjoy the clean simple look i have achieved by using bold shapes, minimalistic contrasting colours and a well spaced layout. My favorite aspect of the infographic is the map at the bottom because ones attention is instantly drawn towards it and provokes interest. I believe the key to its success is the size, however because i've used grey rather than black to fill the map it doesn't detract from the remainder of the infographic.
Even though i didn't stick to the subject brief i was set i believe i done my chosen topic justice and could easily see this on an infographic website due to it's professional aesthetics.
