Infographic. This is shorthand for “information graphic.” It is loaded term—perhaps it is because it promises a lot that it frequently under-delivers. I used to be posed the question frequently (and still am on occasion): What’s your view on infographics? Let me start with that, and then I’ll get into the details of our challenge this month.

People mean a variety of things when they say “infographic,” a term that surged in popularity around 2015 (and reached peak popularity, based on Google search terms, in 2017). I think of infographics as existing along a spectrum. One end contains fluffy marketing posters with garish numbers and portions of little stick men filled in (why is it nearly always little men?). Often, these are collections of facts on a given topic. Infographics of this type can draw you in when the design looks cool, but may end up underwhelming and sometimes there isn’t even much data behind what you see.

On the other end of the spectrum are information graphics that actually inform. Data journalism has many good examples of this (I’ll list some SWD faves and places to find examples in the Related Resources section below). Those on this end of the spectrum invite you in: they spark your interest and teach you something new or help you see yourself in the data or otherwise be inspired to explore and understand.

Coming back to the original question… My view is that a good data visualization—infographic or otherwise—tells a story. It’s not simply a collection of facts on a given topic. It creates an experience for its audience.

That is what we’re going to do this month.

the challenge

Create an infographic about a topic that interests you and share it in the SWD community (if you haven’t yet joined, take a moment to indicate your interest in the form and you’ll receive instructions to access). Your infographic can be static or interactive. Use any tool (or combination of tools) that you would like. (On that note, if this challenge feels intimidating from a tool standpoint, try not to let it—pen and paper would be totally acceptable here if you’d like!)

If you need help finding data, check out this list of publicly available data sources.

Share your creation in the SWD community by December 31st at 4PM PST. If there is any specific feedback or input that you would find helpful, include that detail in your commentary. You’re also welcome to post on social media, please tag with #SWDchallenge.

related resources

Here are a few places to check out for examples and inspiration. A couple of related notes…

First, there’s a ton of great work out there—much more than we’ve called out specifically here—this is a starting point, but certainly not a comprehensive list (if there are other great examples you’d like to share, feel free to include comments here or links in your submission commentary).

Second, many of these are quite fancy, with interactive components or otherwise involved design features. Please don’t let this intimidate; while you’re welcome to go crazy with this if you’d like, simple static infographics are also welcome. More important than the fanciness of approach is that your passion for your chosen topic come through in a way that makes us want to spend time with and learn from the infographic you create.

Kantar Information is Beautiful Awards (check out the recently announced 2019 winners)
The Guardian Datablog (recent article A Decade of the Datablog points to several)
New York Times (for example, The Rich Really do Pay Lower Taxes than You, Apple App Store Competition, Extensive Data Shows Punishing Reach of Racism for Black Boys)
The Pudding (for example, Colorism in High Fashion, Women’s Issues within Political Party Platforms, Someone Clever Once Said Women Were Not Allowed Pockets)
Washington Post (for example, The Depth of the Problem, How The Nation’s Growing Racial Diversity is Changing Our Schools)
What is an Infographic? What They Are & Why They’re Useful by Column Five

I’m excited to learn—and for us all to learn from each other—through the inspiring infographics you create this month!