An Infographic and its Analysis

By: Klement Miraj

06/21/2020

English 21007

Writing for Engineers

In today’s world data could be demonstrated in many ways. As an individual goes by their day, they are hit by information constantly. From looking at their phone, to seeing posters while driving their car and by receiving emails from different companies. All of these are information that an individual is perceiving throughout the day but how can information be more precise? One of these ways is by collecting data and portraying it in an infographic.

An infographic is a graphic representation of data and knowledge which is intended for information to be presented quickly and clearly. Some other types of visualization information are, information visualization, statistical graphics, data visualization and information design. A lot of the infographics used in todays world are designed to be for most of the population which puts it in a mass communication category. [1] According to Edward Tufte an infographic should have a graphical display that can be precise and have conventional information. The display should show the data and should avoid distorting what the data has to say. [2] The information should also encourage the viewer to think about the substance that is presented and not the methodology or the technology that achieved it. To take the infographic to the next level the presenter should make large data sets coherent and emphasize certain data to encourage the viewer to compare the different sets of data. To bring everything together the infographic should include a description, an exploration section, tabulation, and decoration to finish off. [2]

To further understand the connection between the information being portrayed and the how the brain can perceive the most information a great presentation called “Death by PowerPoint” by David Phillips should be analyzed. Although David speak mostly about how a PowerPoint should be conducted there are certain aspects that could benefit an infographic. David states that one theme should be portrayed per visual slide. This relates to the infographic as usually only one theme is being shown to the viewer.  Furthermore, David speaks about that no more then seven objects should be included because the brain is not equipped to handle more then that. Another aspect that is hard for the brain to remember is full on sentences. David recommends that instead of sentences to compress the writing and use just key words which would trigger a viewer to associate the word with the theme being shown. Contrast should also be used in multiple aspects by manipulating things such as size and different colors. [3] By following all of tools that are laid out above, an infographic should have a clear message which includes limited images and words as well as contrast to differentiate from different parts to make the viewer shift their attention to certain parts.

The infographic shown above is titled “Lifetime of Chemical Engineering” and it is supposed to be an informative representation of what chemical engineering is and what opportunities are there in someone’s life who chooses this path. The target audience for this infographic is high school students as well as individuals who would like a quick understanding of what chemical engineering is. Because of the targeted audience chosen, the infographic is made to be simple but concise and does not included scientific terminology that a high school teenager will not understand. The poster is broken down into 6 different compartments which are, About ChE, Education, Job Sector, Job Roles, Pros and Cons. By following David’s advice that a poster should have less then 7 objectives, each sector should be easier for the reader to retain. The first section, About ChE, has multiple words that are associated with chemical engineering which show that chemical engineering is a craft that requires chemistry, physics, biology, and economics. Putting all those crafts together will allow to produce and transform energy and materials for the consumers to use. In the education section different degrees are shown from high school all the way to PhD that an individual can achieve in the world of chemical engineering. It is noted that bachelor’s degree is in purple and that is the beginning of the journey for someone who graduates.

The job sector section reveals multiple industries where a graduate of a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering could work. The list includes manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and food processing. The following sector includes different job roles that could be held in the industry such as production engineer, consultant, and account executive. From viewing these two sectors, a reader should see how diverse the world of chemical engineering is. An individual could work in a manufacturing line or work in mass production of medications or could make food products that the mass consumer could buy. If a person does not prefer to work on the scientific or engineering side of things, they could choose the business side. This includes consulting and account executive of the second section which has opportunities to work on the sales force of a company as well as the marketing side.

The two next parts that are shown in the infographic are the pros and cons of choosing chemical engineering as a lifestyle. The pros show that there is financial rewarding that comes with chemical engineering as well as job flexibility to move from one job sector to the other sector. In the cons side the list includes hazardous working conditions and lack of free time. In the chemical engineering and scientific world, hazardous materials are common due to multiple reactions needed to make a product. Secondary schooling and licensing might be needed in the future which could potentially lead to student loans that need to get paid in the future.

As it is noted by the different sections, the infographic in the title page follows two different organizational patterns. One of these patterns is the chronological order which is meant to be from begging when someone is learning about the subject and then completing their school work followed by the job sector that they would like to work in and concluded by the job that is attained. The second organizational pattern is the comparison and contrast. This pattern is used in the pros and cons sections where a person could decide if those differences and similarities are worth the time that you need to put in to achieve a lifestyle in chemical engineering.

Therefore, the infographic shown above has a great standard for giving information to an individual through graphics and wording as well as for the information to be retained. The infographic is focused on information about chemical engineering by including six subsections. Photos are also used in the subsections to give a visual representation of terms that are included in them. Important items are emphasized with a purple color and a legend is also included to show that. Pointers and lines are also used to link a specific term to the photo that is representing which make sit easier for the viewer to understand. Different colors are also used to differentiate from the six sections which makes it easier for the brain to associate. An individual that is color blind was used and agreed that everything is readable and that sections are differentiable.

 

References

1. Smiciklas, M., & Wiegand, G. (2012). The power of infographics: Using pictures to communicate and connect with your audience. Indianapolis, IN: Que.
2. Tufte, E. R. (2018). The visual display of quantitative information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.
3. Phillips, D. J. (2014, April 4). Death by PowerPoint. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwpi1Lm6dFo