Week 7 Reading Reaction

Summary

• Alejandro Tumas, industrial diagram for Siderar
  When communicating complex technical processes and issues to nontechnical audience, it is often necessary to omit many technical details.

• The New York Times Graphics Department, maps and diagrams for the New York Times
  To really understand a data set, you need to process it yourself; you have to immerse yourself in the subject and do your own reporting. To help people understand the subject and data, designers must do a balancing act. Designers need to provide enough detail to illuminate the content, but not too much so it doesn't alienate some viewers.
  

• Funnel Incorporated, various projects
  Good infographics works by clarifying complex information, nit dumbing down the audience. In publications, such as newspaper, information graphics are a great way to cut through the clutter and ensure that the readers understands the potential story.

• White Rhino
  Using subdued color palette can sometimes make the information easier to absorb. Too much color can be distracting with such density. Without relying on bright colors for information hierarchy at such a small scale, the attention to typography becomes even more critical.

• Nigel Holmes, book infographics for Blue Planet Foundation
  In creating infographics, editing is critical. In order to create a good piece of work, Nigel Holmes often start with four times more information that he'll ultimately use. A good infographic is concise yet fantastically informative.

• The Wall Street Journal Information Graphics Department, news infographic for the Wall Street Journal
  Good information designers need to know their subject, and have a passion for it. The designers must do their own research; it's when they pore over the data that they start to picture the presentation and know whether it will work or not. Information designers must think analytically but also have to find an inviting way to bring the viewer into the subject matter.