Creating in infographic

An infographic uses items such as images, graphs, and text to explain or present data. Below is a link to the infographic I created this week using Canva. I will also explain my use of visual rhetoric and my decisions during the creation of my poster about Lateral Reading.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFp5gSZ3go/16NxOJHOfn5JGDPWk0f2xA/edit?utm_content=DAFp5gSZ3go&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

             My infographic is about Lateral Reading, that is, “an approach that helps students determine a source’s credibility by leaving the source and seeing what is said about it elsewhere on the Web”(Lowe, Zemliansky, Driscoll, Stewart, & Vetter, 2010).  My initial concept was to mention the CRAAP concept (Credibility, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose) and then explain why we should leave to use Lateral Reading to better determine the credibility of the source, see Figure 1.

I proportioned the size of letters and images to emphasize the idea of putting an online source through a filtering system in order to make a decision on its credibility. I centered the top three lines to grab the reader’s attention and to keep “Lateral Reading” as a central idea that should not be lost. I also justified text to the left and used bulleted lists to highlight items the reader might use as a checklist when conducting Lateral Reading.

I chose blue colors and whites for images and background. The blue color is associated with a sensation of trust and security, even though it is often associated with banks and businesses, I chose the color to promote trust of the information, and the white to increase the chances a reader will spend more time processing the information. The orange on the font is a little aggressive but I thought it contrasted well (Tucker).

Figure 1. Initial Hand Sketch

 I aimed to minimize distractions and confusion by limiting text and visual items. (Ramage, 2009). I used abstract geometric shapes such as cylinders and squares to create regular patterns and give structure to the main ideas. I used abstract shapes to attach a visual aid to each one of the three main ideas. The gavel represents the researcher making a judgement on the source or finding prior judgement from others. The hand with the coin floating over it portrays questioning the funding source, I avoided images that attached negativity to the money because I wanted to avoid introducing the idea that all funding has negative motives. I used the information in Professor Tucker’s “User-centered Design & Aesthetics” presentation to search google for a water filtration systems image with no copy rights so I would be able to copy and modify without having to ask for any permissions (Tucker).

If I was to do this again, I would try creating my own graphic the image fits my data instead of making the information fit the graphic. Despite not being able to create my original design, Figure 1, the sketch kept me along the main ideas I wanted to transmit.

What items would you say met my intention, which created confusion and what improvements would you recommend?

 

References

Lowe, C., Zemliansky, P., Driscoll, D., Stewart, M., & Vetter, M. (2010). Writing spaces : readings on writing. West Lafayette, Indiana ; Anderson, South Carolina volumes: Parlor Press Illustrations.

Ramage, J. D. (2009). Argument in composition. West Lafayette, Ind.: Parlor Press.

Tucker, V. (Producer). (2023). User-centered Design & Aesthetics. [PowerPoint slides] Retrieved from https://canvas.odu.edu/courses/128495/assignments/syllabus

Tucker, V. (Producer). (2023). Visual Rhetoric in Digital Artifacts. [PowerPoint slides] Retrieved from https://canvas.odu.edu/courses/128495/assignments/syllabus