For over two decades I worked in journalism. I came away with a lot of information from those years, but none perhaps so pronounced as the fact that a picture is assuredly worth a thousand words.
Whether it was adding a graphic element to a story or to an advertisement, it was well-known that the right one would increase interest. Done well, the visual after getting your attention, clarifies the words that might accompany it. A writer might paint a picture with his prose, but an artist or photographer leave nothing to the imagination. The images they produce draw the viewer in to the story they paint or photograph.
There’s no better way to get people to notice your message than by adding visual elements to facts and information.
This is the purpose of infographics, where text and images combine to present data in a clear, concise manner. Together they educate, build awareness and market strategically everything from products to people. Studies have shown that a good infographic is up to 30 times more likely to be read than a text article.
The trick is putting this into action. Simply slapping together some cool fun graphics with some interesting tidbits isn’t going to achieve the result you hope for. To get the most from them, to understand the potential and realize it for yourself, here are some wonderful sites with tips for what to do and what not to do:
Once you know how, the next step will be sourcing out some wonderful graphics to highlight your project. There are a number of online resources, such as Clipart.com and iCLIPART.com where, with a subscription, you are able to access a huge variety of images safely.
