Paul Atkins Design and the Digital World - Session 3

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Communication through
good information design
Paul Atkins
Creative and Print Services
Loughborough University

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Introduction
• Did you know that we remember 80% of
what we see, yet only 20% of what we read?

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Introduction
• The power of visual communication is hard
to ignore. A cookbook is a great example of
communication design.
Old school cookbook Newer cookbook

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The title
• Your title needs to be interesting.
• It needs to sell your work.
• It needs to be short.
• It must be understood…
…it might be the only thing that’s read!

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The title
• TITLE A
Fourteen steps to creating an
infographic for university researchers.
• TITLE B
Infographic creation for researchers

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Content
• First you need the right content.
• Target your audience with short,
punchy and interesting facts.
• Let images and data tell a story,
take the reader on a journey.
• Plan it out!

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Content
• How much data do you have?
• What elements do you want to use?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• What is the point of your infographic?
• Brainstorming can help!

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Design
• Simple information helps understanding.
Show it rather than write it.
• Consistency ‘and’ or ‘&’…
…its about attention to detail!
• Limit your fonts.
• Colour – less is more.

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Design
• Don’t neglect white space.
• Ensure it is visually appealing.
- Stick to one style for images/graphics.
• Great stats and data are vital.
• Establish a hierarchy,
connect the information and give a flow.

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Design
• Consider your content. Is it good or bad?

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• Test it! Ask friends and family
to give you feedback.
• There’s some great examples online.
• Remember – good design takes time.

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Thank you for listening
Any questions?