It is often said, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and with an infographic you can say much more with much less. Infographic posters have the capacity to make necessary information visually appealing and can increase audience retention. What better way to showcase my topic of the impacts of design than through using actual design to my audience? My audience will be City Tech Freshmen and they most likely have many experiences with visual posters, brochures, and infographics through social media and the internet. It is a familiar mode of communication and is usually well received. Infographic posters are also widely used in academic and school settings whenever there is an event or important dates coming up.
Communication through visual elements can be very effective at persuading your audience, especially a younger one. In the same way we eat with our noses first, we process information visually first. We have about 5 seconds to decide if something is worth looking at. After that, we can look at the actual content. Visual aids can be used like graphics, charts, diagrams, and color. It’s a simple way to communicate to the readers in a concise manner that is adherent to the shortening attention spans. It’s attention grabbing, entertaining, and easily digestible if designed well. It allows the audience to scan through the information in this fast-paced world but also still be able to absorb the data and message. Infographics can translate easily from print to digital media which allows for accessibility and shareability. It’s perfect to share on social media as a method to raise awareness within the targeted age bracket as more people will share an infographic rather than a scholarly journal.
My unit 3 project was designed well using visual hierarchy and focal point to draw the audience’s attention through the piece. I took inspiration from recruitment and informational posters. Guidelines were used to create a structured foundation for the text and graphics to be on. The entire poster uses an analogous color palette with a complementary tone as an accent for a harmonious look with a pop. Red text helps to emphasize the most important parts and the graphics help break up the blocks of text and add interest. The design was kept modern and minimal to appeal to a younger audience and to adhere to what is trending on social media.
The limitations of the infographic are that it uses only visuals and text. Adding animations or audio somehow into the project would help elevate it even more and attract a younger audience that is into podcasts and YouTube videos. There is also increased retention when using all three modes of communication of visuals, audio, and text. The infographic also cannot include too much information as it would look cluttered and disorganized. That is a limitation when trying to present information and instead like with mine where I wrote “contact the Communications Design Department”, you will have to redirect them elsewhere for more information. Overall, redesigning the feature article’s content to cater to a different audience is enlightening and I learned a great deal about how different genres influence different audiences.
