Heinen+-+Infographic

__**Research**__ In researching different types of infographics, I have noticed a couple of key trends. To start, there are around three main types of infographics I have noticed: My topic is to create an infographic for Mr. Douglass and his history classes that explains what makes an argumentative essay. I have taken WHAP and APUSH, so I already have a solid understanding on what makes a good thesis that makes an argument and not just a list of facts. This information, since it is not over time or involving numbers, would best suit the third type of infographic (list/tips). Above are some examples of these types of infographics. I like how they try to utilize illustrations and not just words explaining the concepts, since a key rule to creating infographics is to keep it simple and not too wordy (it will make it harder to comprehend). As well, since Mr. Douglass wants to be able to hang this in his room or possibly hang out to students I will dimension it as an 8 1/2 * 11 so that it can be printed on a standard sheet of paper. Above are my thumbnail sketches, I feel that the one in the upper right would best represent the information as a student when writing their essay could ask themselves those series of questions and be positive that they have a solid argument.
 * [[image:https://venngage-wordpress-gallery.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/06/5-Tips-To-Keep-Your-Chin-Up-Infographic-2.png width="239" height="308"]] || [[image:http://www.aspoonfulofspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/infografia-paella.jpg width="184" height="763"]] || [[image:bjork003.jpg width="384" height="503"]] ||
 * Data - these show a set of numbers in a visually appealing manner
 * Timeline - these show key events by using different layouts and graphics in a chronological order
 * Lists/Tips - these are a little more obscure, as they vary from lists of do's and don'ts to quick tips

__**Final Infographic**__ __**Artist Statement:**__ Infographics are taking the online world by storm -- it is becoming a norm to explain a concept or show a series of events visually. An infographic is defined as "a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data"; it is the embodiment of modern graphic design. Our most recent assignment was to create an inforgraphic for a certain subject in school; I was assigned the topic of creating an argumentative essay infographic for Mr. Douglass. Important criteria was to make it visually appealing but still simple so that the viewer can quickly interpret the information without thinking too hard. I felt that my final design met this criteria in a creative manner and well represented the information I was given.

Having taken a few advanced history courses, I know what goes into an argumentative essay. Mr. Douglass outlined that he wanted more of an explanation to how to make an argument rather than the essay as a whole. Therefore, in my infographic I highlighted some key aspects to making an argument that I both remember from the classes and that I could see on the essay rubrics. Composition-wise, I wanted the viewer's eye to follow a path, where they started at the top left corner and followed the series of questions down towards the "YES!" part, indicating all of the steps to making an argument. Therefore, I aligned all of the important information along a diagonal path. This made it simple to view while still being aesthetically pleasing. For craftsmanship, I used the program Adobe Illustrator to make the design, so that it could be enlarged or printed at any size. Since infographics typically look crisp and clean, I worked to make sure it was not too busy and appeared neat. Some elements of design that I used in the piece were color, shape, and space. Principles that I utilized were contrast and emphasis. My color palette was made of lighter and more generic colors: red, green, and yellow. The red and green are used to emphasize the "yes'" and "no's" in the work and make it easier for the viewer to follow, since those colors are commonly associated with yes and no. Yellow contrasted those two and went nicely with the "ideas" theme in the bottom left corner. For shape, the background is made up of three triangles to make it a more interesting composition, which also is how the space was used. The two typefaces I chose are a great example of contrast, one is blocky and sans serif while the other is scripty. I used the cursive font to emphasize the key words in each of the questions. All of these elements and principles helped me to create a more interesting inforgraphic.

I felt that my strongest areas with this project were my craftsmanship and concept. My style is consistent with many popular infographics I found, yet it still has originality. I followed the criteria well and made a poster I know Mr. Douglass will enjoy, as many of the ideas on here are ones he commonly stresses. My color palette well-suited the concept and looks very aesthetically pleasing. My weakest area was composition, it is very basic and there is some unfilled negative space. I am very pleased with all of my designs I have created over the course of this class; I feel they show exceptional composition and concepts. My strongest design was the social justice poster, as it is not only a good poster but there are a lot of little details in my design that make it even more meaningful. The most helpful thing that I learned is that graphic design is not just about layout, a lot of artistic qualities are still needed. An idea could be well executed but still lack creative thought. This was something that was hard for me to learn, as it is easy to crank out ideas but not all of them are creative enough to make an exceptional design. Over the course of this class I have developed somewhat of a style, one where I strongly emphasize typography and utilize clean designs. My eye for graphic design has become more mature, I am able to pick out the effective parts of design and the ineffective parts (which has been especially useful for yearbook). Overall, I have grown a lot this year and I look forward to where my interest in graphic design will take me.