I have never once thought about what goes into making an infographic, but I do know my eyes are drawn to the information presented in one. Through my exploration, I did find it is much more difficult to make the infographics look like the ones I am used to seeing. Since I knew I wanted to try one that wouldn’t be too challenging, I decided to create one about what I do in the mornings to start my day. I’ve been following my morning routine for a year and have had much success with it. I searched for a website for reference and ended up finding one that included a lot of the things I do, so I was able to use that for the infographic.
Once I decided what I wanted to put on my infographic, I looked at the different websites on infographics. If I had been more experienced with creating infographics, I may have used the easelly website. I liked that I could build one easily from scratch. However, I found it more difficult to get all the characteristics I wanted, so I decided that it wasn’t the right one to use. I also couldn’t find a template on that site that fit my needs. For me personally, the canva website was the best site for my first attempt. It gave more variety of templates that I could use, and it appeared to be much easier for me to edit my own infographic.
I immediately saw a template in the education infographic that caught my eye. It had colors I liked and I felt it would work well with the type of infographic I was creating. I had to play around with the placement of the images and words at times, but overall the template wasn’t too hard to use. After typing the words, I looked at what Reynolds had suggested for fonts. I tried to choose one of the fonts he said worked well for presentation design. However, none of them were available. I used “della respira” because I feel it mimics a serif typeface or the font with “small detail at the ends of strokes within letters” (Reynolds, 2014, p. 40). A serif typeface leads the eyes from one character and one word to the next which can be easier to read (Reynolds, 2014, p. 40). I also made sure the size was the same, except for the headings and subheadings. The heading was in all caps and I remembered reading that Reynolds suggests, “for short headlines or a single word, using all uppercase letters is acceptable and can make a powerful statement, but use this technique with restraint” (Reynolds, 2014, p. 32). I played around with both options (uppercase and lowercase), but in the end I did feel the uppercase title looked best with the template.
I liked that this template kept the colors and theme simple. It used shades of pink which are associated with “tranquil, health, love” (Reynolds, 2014, p. 79). The use of pink felt appropriate since I was creating an infographic on the morning routine I love and it has been beneficial for my health. The colors aren’t bright, but I still found myself drawn to the template compared to others based on the color scheme. I felt the colors used create a harmonious relationship and emotional connection to a powerful visual message (Reynolds, 2014, p. 91). After I played around with the theme, fonts, and colors, I had to remind myself that one of the most important things was for me to keep it simple. Reynolds (2014) states, “simplicity is a fundamental tenet in all aspects of design and communication” and to remember “three fundamental principles: restrain, reduce, and emphasize” (p. 175). In the end, I reduced the text and kept it short compared to what I had originally typed.
I feel like my finished product is simple and to the point. Anyone could read the infographic and take away the 6 simple steps to start their day off right. I think students would have fun creating their own infographics in the library or classroom. We usually complete research on animals, and an infographic would be an interesting way to present some of the data they learn about their animal. Students could also use them to create a timeline when learning about different periods of history, or as a way to present history facts they have learned. There are various ways infographics could be used to allow students the opportunity to show their creativity, and present information in a different way. The biggest thing for students to know about creating infographics would be to keep it simple, but to also know what type of infographic they want to make. The templates are helpful for those starting out and who need that guide, but I’m sure many students would welcome the chance to make their own infographic without using a template.
References
Glossinger, J. B. (2014, August 21). 7 ways to start your day off right. The Business Journals.
Reynolds, G. (2014). Presentation zen design: A simple visual approach to presenting in today’s world. 2nd ed. New Riders/Pearson.
You inspired me to drink a glass of water this morning! I agree that your infographic was to the point and l like the color scheme. I like your idea of using infographics for student to create timelines.
I also found it a little difficult to make an infographic that looked like ones I am used to seeing. I really like the concept behind the one you created!
You made an excellent infographic! I agree that Canva was the easiest to use, but if I were more experienced, I might have gone with Easl.ly. If I needed a chart or graph, I don’t think Canva would’ve been my first choice. You nailed the effective simplicity!
I like the simplicity of this! The layout and the monochromatic color scheme are really nice. I will have to add a new item to my morning routine, to continue to stay positive through the last ten days of school! 🙂 I may try to focus on listening or reading something positive before work. Very nice reflection too!