I’m a big fan of infographics: those nifty
visual ways of presenting often complex information quickly and clearly. Done
well they help make the patterns or trends in data highly visible. Perhaps the
best, and most long-standing, being the London Tube map.
And if a cursory glance at Facebook or
LinkedIn is anything to go by, the rest of the world is a fan as well.
Yet, I’m also worried by the proliferation
of infographics, often to the exclusion of well-crafted copy.
I happen to be someone who responds well to
visual interpretations. My thought process is often aided greatly by the use of
mind mapping techniques – in fact my articles on this blog start with a mind
map. Yet I’m also painfully aware
that there are many people for whom the visual representation of data, facts or
information leaves them cold and unengaged. For them, the written or spoken word carries much more
weight.
There can be no substitute for a
well-argued piece of prose or a clever strapline. Why? Well, the written or
spoken word can often engender something that visual representation may
not: an emotional reaction in the
reader. That’s why novels have survived the advent of the movies and
television. Why speech radio
continues to attract a sizeable audience.
By all means use infographics to enhance or
simplify your messaging. But
please don’t assume it is a full substitute for copy if you want to engage all audiences
fully.
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