The Power of Infographics Using Pictures to Communicate and Connect With Your Audiences

by Smiciklas, Mark

• ISBN13: 9780789749499
• ISBN10: 0789749491
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-15
• Publisher: Que Publishing

Summary

Need to overcome information overload and get your message across? Infographics are your secret weapon. Using them, you can deliver knowledge and ideas visually, so your audiences can understand them quickly - and take action. In The Power of Infographics, Mark Smiciklas shows how to create powerful infographics: visual representations capable of transforming complex data or concepts into intuitive, instant knowledge. Writing from a business perspective, Smiciklas reveals how to use infographics both inside and outside the organization: to build brands, make sales, serve clients, align teams behind new strategies, and more. This straightforward, visual, common-sense based book explains: * What infographics are, and why they work so well * How to visualize statistical data, business processes, time, geography, lists, relationships, and concepts * How to communicate the "personal" through infographics * Best practices for observation, processing ideas, creating highly effective infographics, and publishing them * How to plan for and measure the ROI of infographics * And much more...

Author Biography

Mark Smiciklas is the president of Intersection Consulting, a Vancouver-based digital marketing and communications agency that teaches organizations how to leverage the dynamics of Web 2.0 to achieve business goals. He is an established digital marketing and social media practitioner recognized for his visual thinking and strategic, no-nonsense approach. His service offering is framed by core beliefs in listening, stakeholder engagement, trust creation, and employee empowerment. An interest in the evolution of social business continues to motivate him, as does a passion for teaching. Smiciklas has developed and taught social media strategy classes for undergraduates and adult learners at a number of Canadian universities. He also has spoken about a wide variety of digital marketing topics at corporate and public events and workshops. His genuine love of technology and people continues to ignite ongoing learning and new thinking that aim to help individuals and organizations connect with their audiences. Smiciklas hangs out full-time at intersectionconsulting.com/ blog. He can be found on Twitter at @Intersection1. He is also a regular contributor to socialmediaexplorer.com, the popular digital and social media marketing and online communications blog. He lives in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, with his lovely wife, three kids, and Max the dog.

Table of Contents

Visual Communication
Infographics 101	p. 3
What Are Infographics?	p. 3
Infographics Defined	p. 3
Infographic History	p. 3
The Science of Visualization	p. 6
Hardwiring	p. 7
Easy on the Mind	p. 7
Visual Learning	p. 11
Why Infographics Work for Business	p. 12
Easy to Digest	p. 12
Shareability	p. 15
The "Cool" Factor	p. 16
Endnotes	p. 16
Business Information Needs
Visualizing Numbers and Concepts	p. 21
Statistics	p. 21
Using Data to Tell a Story	p. 22
The Benefits of Visualizing Research	p. 24
Understanding the Risks	p. 25
Ideas and Concepts	p. 26
Using Visual Metaphors	p. 27
Using Cartoons to Communicate Your Idea's	p. 30
Case Study: The Kronos ôTime Well Spent" Cartoon Series	p. 33
Endnotes	p. 34
Visualizing how things work and are Connected	p. 35
Process	p. 35
The Jargon Dilemma	p. 37
Infographics Help Explain What You Do	p. 38
Hierarchy	p. 42
Business Hierarchies	p. 42
Relationships	p. 47
Simplified Systems Thinking	p. 49
Business Models	p. 49
Endnotes	p. 55
Visualizing Who, When, and Where	p. 57
Personality	p. 57
Brand Humanization	p. 58
Infographic Resumes	p. 60
Chronology	p. 65
Business Timelines	p. 65
Geography	p. 69
Business Maps	p. 69
Endnotes	p. 72
Creating Infographics
Infographic Prep Work	p. 75
Purpose	p. 77
Understanding Your Audiences' Information Needs	p. 77
Audience Analysis	p. 77
Setting Infographic Objectives	p. 79
The Art of Observation	p. 82
Seeing	p. 82
Listening	p. 83
Endnotes	p. 86
Processing Your Ideas	p. 87
Recording Your Thoughts	p. 87
I'm Not an Artist	p. 87
Different Ways to Document	p. 88
Info-Synthesis	p. 90
The Five W's (and One H) of Infographics	p. 94
Endnotes	p. 98
Designing Your Infographics	p. 99
The Critics	p. 99
Infographic DIY	p. 100
An Infographic Rant	p. 100
The DIY Infographic Formula	p. 103
Outsourcing	p. 108
Going Pro	p. 109
Working with Students	p. 114
Endnotes	p. 118
Publishing Your Infographics	p. 119
Audience Research	p. 119
Online Publishing Channels	p. 120
Infographic Home Base	p. 122
Infographic Outposts	p. 126
Offline Publishing Opportunities	p. 133
Endnotes	p. 133
Business Value
Infographics as an Internal and External Communication Tool	p. 137
Using Infographics to Build Your Brand	p. 137
The Business of Infographics	p. 138
Content Marketing	p. 139
Promoting Your Infographics	p. 148
Infographics Inside the Organization	p. 153
Internal Adoption of Infographics	p. 153
Internal Communication Opportunities	p. 154
Endnotes	p. 155
Infographic ROI	p. 157
Measuring the VOI (Value of Infographics)	p. 159
Tangible Metrics	p. 160
Intangible Benefits	p. 163
Infographic Resources	p. 165
Guide to Visual Elements	p. 165
Infographic Tools	p. 175
Visualization Tools	p. 175
Design Elements	p. 178
Further Reading	p. 179
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures	p. 179
Creating More Effective Graphs	p. 179
Envisioning Information	p. 180
Graph Design for the Eye and Mind	p. 180
Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference	p. 180
Information Visualization: Perception for Design	p. 180
Marks and Meaning, version zero	p. 180
Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis	p. 181
Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations	p. 181
Visual Language: Global Communication for the 21st Century	p. 181
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don'ts of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures	p. 181
Information Designers, Consultants, and Agencies	p. 181
Agencies	p. 182
Freelance Designers	p. 184
Consultants	p. 187
Index	p. 189
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