Renee Hobbs offers a hands-on workshop in creating infographics as a create to learn pedagogy.

1. CREATE to
LEARN
Renee
Hobbs@reneehobbs
All About Infographics
https://mediaeducationlab.com/create-learn-higher-education

2. https://mediaeducationlab.com/create-learn-higher-education

4. Infographics
combine one or
more graphical
elements and
text to point out
relationships,
show a process,
tell a story, or
persuade

5. Data visualization is
the graphical representation
of quantifiable data, usually
by means of a chart, graph,
or map types

6. Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy, Renee Hobbs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analyzing an
Infographic
While many people think that data is
factual & unbiased, it’s a product of
human creativity and thus inevitably
inflected by the point of view
of the people who created it

7. Activity: Analyze an Infographic

8. HEADER

9. CONTENT

10. SOURCES
&
AUTHORSHIP

11. Infographics Make Strategic Use of Concision

12. Controlling Attention with Comparison &
Contrast
Comparison and
contrast is a
timeless
rhetorical tool
to advance an
argument, represent
ideas, or develop a
persuasion message
The use of color
is the primary way
that numerical
information is
represented here
A legend shows how to
interpret visual symbols

13. Controlling
Attention with
Dynamic Content
• In a dynamic format,
information is presented in
ways that change over time or
enable people to interact to
display data in a particular way
• Dynamic data presentations
control attention by using the
power of interactivity
and animation, building a
tight connection between
verbally presented information,
numerical data, and visual
representations

14. https://mediaeducationlab.com/create-learn-higher-education

15. People’s
Engagement
with
Visualization• People need a broad range of skills in order to interpret the content of data
visualizations, including reading skills, a conceptual understanding of
statistics and mathematical concepts, motivation and critical thinking skills.
• When we interact with a data visualization, we bring our background
knowledge, beliefs and interests to the interpretation process.
• People tend to find infographics to be more believable when they confirm
what is already known. This phenomenon is called the confirmation bias
and it’s the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information
that matches our pre‐existing beliefs.
• Because it takes time to read and make sense of an infographic, some
visualizations can be challenging. Busy people may not be willing to take
the time required to interpret a visualization.

16. People’s
Engagement
with
Visualization• People need a broad range of skills in order to interpret the content of data
visualizations, including reading skills, a conceptual understanding of
statistics and mathematical concepts, motivation and critical thinking skills.
• When we interact with a data visualization, we bring our background
knowledge, beliefs and interests to the interpretation process.
• People tend to find infographics to be more believable when they confirm
what is already known. This phenomenon is called the confirmation bias
and it’s the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information
that matches our pre‐existing beliefs.
• Because it takes time to read and make sense of an infographic, some
visualizations can be challenging. Busy people may not be willing to take
the time required to interpret a visualization.
People need a broad range of
cognitive competencies in
order to interpret the content of data
visualizations:
• reading comprehension skills
• conceptual understanding of
statistics & math concepts
• motivation and interest
• critical thinking

17. Activity:
Create an
Infographic
Resume
Create an infographic resume that
depicts your life history, talents, and
work and life experiences.
Experiment with different ways to
represent your information and create
three versions. Post and share the
infographic online and get feedback on
how your work is interpreted by others.

18. https://canva.com

19. https://infogr.am

20. Can You Trust an
Infographic?

21. People tend to trust data
visualizations from a
university or think tank more
than news sources
Even when information on an
infographic is true, the visual
presentation can still be highly
misleading
Can You Trust an
Infographic?

22. Infographics rely on the appeal
of abstract images and graphic
design
Images and language are
processed differently by
the brain
Reading researchers who conduct
eye‐ tracking studies have found
that readers actually read
28% of the words on a
computer screen

23. • Study the best infographics in
order to get ideas for your work
• Select a mentor text: an
example of a well‐constructed
infographic or data visualization
that informs your own creative
work
1Study the Genre

24. • Review the affordances of a variety
of free and low‐cost digital tools
for creating infographics
• Experiment with a couple of
different tools before deciding
which one to use
• Notice how the platform and the
templates structure the creative
production process
1Choose a Digital Tool

25. • Consider what data & information sources you want to visualize in
relation to your target audience and your purpose
• Consider your expectations for your audience’s behavior. What do you
want them to know, think, feel & do after interpreting it?
1Create Content & Select Sources

26. • Consider your message
content, audience, and purpose
as you make decisions about
format & structure
• Think about how you will
attract & hold your viewer’s
interest
• Create a style sheet for your
infographic where you identify
the colors, fonts & typefaces
used to create your project
• Consider the balance between
text, images, icons, and white
space and the message
1Start the Design Process

27. • Develop a strategy for
citing the source of your
information and data
• Consider the use of
citations & hyperlinks to
demonstrate the credibility
& authority of the
information you present
• Also make sure to include a
legend, title, & explanatory
text
• Document the creative
process by describing how
you developed the project
1Cite Your Sources

29. Information
Behind a
Paywall
Much information is not
available on the open
Internet. A digital fence
is a system designed to
monetize online digital
information by limiting
access to people who have
paid for information or have
been authorized to use it

30. Where does Data Come
from?
You produce data as a part of everyday
life by:
• getting a driver’s license
• going to the doctor’s office
• getting arrested
• checking your email or searching online
• using an app
EXAMPLE. When you comment on a
YouTube video, your comment is analyzed.
This data is used by companies
trying to figure out how to better
market to you

31. The Economics of
Information
In 2012, the passive data you
created in one single year was valued
at about $60, a figure that represents
the scale of the big data
industry, which generated $156
billion in revenue in 2016 and is
expected to grow to $200 billion by
2020.

32. The Indirect Revenue Stream

33. Key
Ideas
• When data is presented visually, it can compel our interest & illustrate complex
ideas
• Infographics always have a point of view: like all media, they are inherently
selective & incomplete
• They are often used for persuasive purposes because people find information
that is presented in visual and numerical form to be trustworthy
• Simple online tools make it easy to design infographics & create data
visualizations
• Online firms have created tools to help people access data but these can be
behind expensive paywalls because they are presumed to have competitive value
in the business marketplace
• Whenever you use digital media, you produce data that is monetized by Internet
companies using an indirect revenue stream

34. Renee Hobbs
Professor of Communication Studies
Director, Media Education Lab
Harrington School of Communication
& Media
University of Rhode Island USA
Email: hobbs@uri.edu
Twitter: @reneehobbs
LEARN MORE
Web: www.mediaeducationlab.com