Visualizing Health and Healthcare Data

Chapter ElevenInfographics

The term infographic is a combination of the words “information” and “graphic.” As a visual representation of information, data, and knowledge, infographics have two important attributes which help to define them—they are topical, and crafted to achieve an intended outcome—such as raising viewers' awareness of a subject or issue, teaching them something new, persuading them of a specific point of view, or moving them to take action.

The information dashboards, described in Chapter 10, deliver continually (i.e., on a regular schedule) updated data in the form of key metrics selected to help monitor performance and manage workplaces and conditions. Infographics, in contrast, are crafted using carefully researched data and information from reliable, recognized, and trusted sources that support the designer's intended message. As Martino notes, “usually there are several stories in the data—you have to select one. You can change the visualization by putting emphasis on a different story” (Offenhuber, 2010).

Infographics have been used most frequently in journalism (newspapers and magazines, both print and electronic) to make complicated issues and information more engaging and understandable. This makes for another distinguishing characteristic of infographics—they are usually one-and-done pieces published with the data and information available at the time they were created. Depending on the publishing medium and technology used to create them, infographics ...