Infographics+Assignments

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=**Make a new page on your wiki and answer the following questions about this infographic:**=

@http://neomam.com/interactive/13reasons/?goback=.gde_4127955_member_242745264


 * What is the title of the infographic you chose? What is it about in general?
 * What drew you to THIS infographic? Why did you choose this one? Be specific.
 * What is the main topic of your infographic?
 * How was the information arranged and presented? Did they use sections, titles, graphs... Be specific.
 * What did the author do to make sure that EVERYONE could understand this infographic?
 * Was your infographic created to make you feel a certain way or to persuade you?
 * If yes, how did it make you feel or what was it trying to persuade you to do or think?
 * How were colors or images used to create a mood or set a tone?
 * What did you like about your infographic?
 * What would you change about this infographic to make it better?
 * What is the purpose of the infographic?
 * Who do you think is the intended audiences? What makes you say so?
 * How informational is the infographic?
 * How persuasive is the infographic? If you think it is persuasive, what would make it even more persuasive?
 * What original contexts would be most appropriate for the infographic?
 * What visual design elements, if any detract from the main messages of the infographic?
 * To what extent does the infographic contain misleading information or data distortion?
 * To what extent are the visual design choices effective or ineffective? In what specific ways do the creators blend images and text?

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= **For your project, you must do these things:** =


 * Pick a topic on a global issue that you think will sustain your interest during the duration of your research for your Capstone project. The fair is Thursday, May 1, 2014.
 * You must use Piktochart or Infogr.am or an Infographic creation tool that you approve with me.

= **Requirements:** =


 * Need to have a title that describes what your infographic is about, e.g. international poverty, AIDS in Africa
 * Information graphics are interesting because they reveal //differences//. You can show how something works, the evolution of somrthing, or a statistical representation of an idea.
 * Your topic must pertain to something relevant to a global issue and is school appropriate (no foul languages, no drug, sexual, racial reference).
 * Need to have 10-15 graphics (photos, backgrounds, drawings, illustrations, etc.) that help to promote the main idea for your infographic.
 * You must have statistics (numbers, percentages) be a part of your infographic.
 * You must use words to promote an understanding of your topic (usually, for every photo or image you have - you should have a concise statement to help your audience understand it).
 * DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.

= **I will be grading you based on these 4 questions:** =


 * Does it have a main idea or thesis?
 * Does the data support the main idea?
 * Do the graphics enhance and support the data?
 * Does the layout and design have a purpose; did you organize the graphics and text to communicate your ideas effectively?

= **First of all, what are infographics and why create them?** =


 * Did you know that of all of our five senses that vision is our most dominant sense? And that the area of the brain devoted to vision is the largest area of the brain?


 * People love to learn by examining visual representations of data. That’s been proven time and time again by the popularity of both infographics and Pinterest. So what if you could make your own infographics? What would you make of it? It’s actually easier than you think … even if you have zero design skills whatsoever.


 * Infographics are images created to explain a particular idea or dataset. They often contain beautiful graphics to increase their appeal and help catch your attention. Many of them use data visualizations. This representation is multi-modal in the sense that it can have different forms of text: flowcharts, diagrams, images, and many more. What makes infographics so popular is their visual attractiveness.


 * Data visualizations represent numerical data in a visual format. They can be anything from a simple bar graph to a complex three dimensional CAT Scan representation. Piktochart is a user-friendly data visualization tool to help everyone be able to communicate visually.


 * Piktochart is an online Web application that autonomizes the creation of infographics. Its vision is to allow the user the flexibility and control over what information will be viewed online.


 * You will be creating infographics to display the results of your Capstone project. The process of creating an infographic will test your skills in planning, researching, and distilling large amounts of data. Visual presentations are intended to communicate complex information, data, or knowledge quickly and clearly. By presenting information in a compact and creative format, infographics are able to quickly convey knowledge and engage your viewers. Due to their ability to present a huge amount of information in concise chunks and giving numbers/data a visual appeal, infographics are one of the best ways to share content. The ultimate goal is for you to present a lot of complex information in an easy to read format.


 * You will continue to use the SIRS and Opposing Viewpoints databases, as well as others I will show you to begin your research.

= **How to Create an Infographic:** =


 * **Pick a Topic/Collect Data:** Make a list of possible ideas for your infographic. Look at the worldwide news: stories often have unique angles that have not been explored by the mainstream media. Solve a problem or answer a question, explain a complex topic and describe the process of creating a valuable product.


 * **Idea Selection:** Is the concept easy to understand? When executed, will the infographic show something different? Are there credible sources to support your idea? Does the graphic get you emotionally charged? Can you narrate your graphic and use illustrations to visualize the words and ideas metaphorically?


 * **Find References For Your Material:** Use authoritative sources to gather interesting and legitimate facts. You will be using the SIRS and Opposing Viewpoints databases as well as other databases as they become applicable. I will teach you how to access and use those.


 * **Choose a Design:** The design of your infographic can make or break your visual content piece. Take time to select your background, color scheme, and graphs for your statistics. All the different sections should all feel part of the same theme. Background colors and images serve as layers of messaging that help blend the content with the graphics.


 * **Choose Eye-Catching Graphics:** People are attracted to visuals more than text. Types of graphical data you can use are maps, numeric statistics, timelines, and diagrams and explanations.


 * **Layout Your Information:** Laying out your information is a critical step in the infographic creation process. Make sure it is well organized and free of clutter.


 * **First Full Draft: Put the Pieces Together:** Check to make sure all of your content is present within the graphic. Check for the illustration’s accuracy. Is it consumable? Make sure the sections flow and connect with the main theme. Can it persuasively educate the reader about the topic? Can you automatically understand what the graphic is about?


 * **Provide Facts and Conclusions: Check, Refine, and Perfect:** Illustrate statistics. Make it simple. Is the most compelling information included? Are your sources included: check spelling and grammar. Does the theme work for the topic? Are the right sections included? Do the illustrations help you understand the topic/have no impact/or distract you from really getting the information?


 * **Edit, Edit, Edit:** Now it’s time to assemble your infographic. Similar to other forms of content creation, you must analyze content and design elements. Expect to put your infographic through an extensive editing process. Filter through everything and try to create a narrative. Define and describe the topic’s focus. Look for more information that you think will support and illuminate the topic and your infographic as a whole. Organize all the information in a logical sequence to create a gracious flow. Select points that would be interesting to visualize and group similar points together. Write the connecting narrative so the data points flow together from one section to the next.


 * **Share Your Knowledge With the World:** Now that your infographic is complete, share your work with the world via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and at the Capstone Fair.