I’m a big fan of infographics. When done well an infographic is one of the best ways to convey complex concepts in an easy to understand way.
The definition of an infographic at its simplest is – visual data. A more interesting description might be… research + data + graphics + art + design = infographic.
In a way mankind has been infographicing for a very, very long time. This painting from the Chauvet Cave is one of the oldest examples of visual storytelling in the world, perhaps dating back 32,000 years. The Lakota marked the passage of time by visually keeping track of each year’s most significant event on a buffalo hide called a winter count. Maps are also infographics.
Fast forward to the technological era and the modern infographic. They took form on the internet with gusto in 2006 and 2007. Now they are everywhere, for every subject of interest, topic of discussion, and point of view. Some pundits have declared them ‘dead’ due to overload…just like they continuously declare Google, SEO and Apple dead (but that’s another subject). Yet the same ‘experts’ can’t explain why the hashtag #infographic or mention of [infographic] in social media circles consistently attracts the highest click through rate.
In my somewhat lightweight attempt to at least show up on Pinterest I have started a board titled ‘Infographics‘. It is number one of my whooping two boards. I have pinned quite a few infographics there if you want to see examples.
For this post, since this weekend is the mandatory roll out of Facebook’s new timeline feature (sort of an infographic unto itself) I thought it appropriate to show an example infographic from the great folks over at Marketo titled The Guide to Facebook Timeline for Business. Click on the infograph if you want to see a larger image.
Just to put the bug in your ear (which doesn’t sound very comfortable at all) Asio Studio is in the market for a few good infographic clients. If you want to convey your company’s message, mission or latest campaign in a stunningly visual display, give us a call.