Tech Task #8 Informative Graphics

Look, people are busy. Most people don't have the time to read through a bunch of data and figure out what they mean. But data are also important to understand, because the problems facing our society (economic struggles, environmental degradation, climate change) as a whole are complicated issues that have, at their core, hard numbers. Luckily, there is a solution to this issue:

I N F O  G R A P H I C S

Yes, infographics, that stalwart feature of middle-of-the-road newspaper giant USA Today and its many imitators. Nothing helps hard data like a snazzy, slick, colourful infographic that neatly summarizes whatever the numbers are saying, from how crime rates are changing over time to the ever-accelerating number of extinctions. In the classroom, they can de-abstract difficult relationships and serve as creative ways for students to express their own data. They're versatile, too. You can make an infographic out of pretty well anything if you set your mind to it.

Of course, infographics have their downsides. If they are too busy, too complicated, or too garish, they distract from the message rather than supporting it. They also run the risk of being glib, oversimplified, or lacking in nuance, a fast-food way of conveying information, which is one of the reasons why USA Today is not usually held up as an example of hard-hitting journalism. They really should be used as part of a larger understanding of information rather than the whole thing.

Anywho, I made my own infographic below. Can you spot any issues?



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