Week 4: Research Communications & Infographics

Overview

This week we are going to combine what we know about Graphic Design Principles, Logo and Branding psychology and design elements, Layout Design and everything else we’ve discussed thus far in INCC 110. You will be applying all of these concepts to what we refer to as Information Design. Information Design is used for Research Communications and will be a very valuable skill throughout your academic and professional careers. Communicating data and information effectively and efficiently is the key focus for the designer and we’ll be looking at some of the types of visualization categories and principles for achieving effective data visualization design. Using these concepts and principles you’ll have the opportunity to create an infographic, the topic of which is up to you.

Objectives

By the end of this week you should be able to

  1. Define Information Design
  2. Identify the 5 primary types of visualization categories when presented with a graph
  3. Apply Edward Tufte’s 9 principles for effective graphical display to a data visualization project
  4. Apply Stephen Few’s eight types of quantitative messages to data visualization designs
  5. Employ best practices of infographic design as discussed in class.

Topics

  • Information design
  • Data visualization
  • 5 primarily types of visualization categories
  • Edward Tufte’s principles for effective graphical display
  • The quantitative message
  • Psychology of visual information
  • Infographic best practices

 Lecture Notes

 

INCC 110: Week 4 – Research Communications and Infographics

 

What’s Next?

Having completed your Lynda.com Video course selections outlined in the syllabus you’re ready to tackle the Final Project. Using the previous knowledge obtained throughout the four lectures and the experience you’ve gained working with Illustrator you are to create a Research Poster as described in your syllabus. You’ll have one week to complete this Final Assignment.