Conquering Infographics

06Jun11

I have mentioned that I have started taking on work that requires me to create information graphics. Information graphics are really an every day visual; signs at the bus stop, instruction manuals, charts below a news story, and so on. Artists are refining their presentation and with the onslaught of information and the general attention span dwindling, infographics are becoming more and more popular.

I think I have also mentioned that information design was the most challenging course I took at school. I have no idea why; most other classes I could adjust how I was thinking and execute meaningful designs for. I don’t believe I mastered any class, but I left Information Design knowing that all the work I created in that class completely bombed.
So.. why take on something that I feel incompetent at? Because I want to freaking master this. I made sure I gave the project manager (who’s also a friend) fair warning that this wasn’t something I thrived at, and that he should be harsh and if I didn’t perform well that there would be no hard feelings if he needed to find someone else. Maybe that was a bad business move, but A) I have complexes about being a burden to people and more importantly B) I know the quality and standard of what infographics look like and the way they present information (see Daily Infographic, Good Infographics, and Column Five Media: Infographics ), and I know that  I am not up to that level, but I desperately want to work until it’s at that level. I want to have good information graphics in my portfolio of work.

Here is the first information graphic I did — it was going to be gorgeous… but it flopped.

and Here is the one I reluctantly completed at 5am Wednesday morning (I say reluctantly because I know there’s so many things left to do to make it outstanding, but I just couldn’t meet the deadline.

Not to toot my own horn (because I know this last one is not really horn-toot-able by itself) but I am so happy with the progress I’ve been making. Especially with the work I have put into these last two to make them better. Still a long way to go, but progress has been made.

Filed under: design, Uncategorized   |  3 Comments
Tags: design, goal setting, infographics, learning