1.This info-graphic is in general, fairly easy to understand. There is a clear heading at the top, however it fails to tell the reader what it is about spam that the info-graphic is about. A small introductory paragraph, following the header would have communicated this appropriately. Personally, the images don't communicate well on their own as they are not specific enough to the data and I had to read the small text to understand the content. The focus of this info-graphic is the effect of spam e-mails on the environment - due to its large carbon footprint.
2. From this information graphic I learned the real affect that spam has in terms of the environment. I didn't realise just how damaging it was and how a spam/junk e-mail from my inbox could cause so much harm. I found the use of icons to display the information worked well as it displays the information in a different and interesting manner rather than just text on a page.
3. This info-graphic is aimed at computer users who use e-mail and are familiar with junk and spam in their e-mail inbox. There is nothing terribly striking about the design, however the different ways of displaying the information is effective and engaging. The layout makes the info-graphic easy to understand making it available to a wide audience and not restricting the viewer.
4.The format is easy to read and displays the included information clearly due to the simple colour scheme. There is a lot of white space, however this does allow for the individual sections of information to be easily read. The use of the chunky blue arrow behind the graph section does guide the viewer down the page but I think this would work if it just remained a simple rectangle behind the information.
Hierarchy is achieved through the use of clear headings for each section of information. Also, through the use of colour and text size as shown in the example below:
5. The designer uses both Serif and Sans Serif typefaces in this design, with a Serif typeface for the headings and the use of a Sans Serif typeface for the smaller areas of information. As shown in the image above, hierarchy is created through the use of difference in size and colour, allowing the "95 trillion" to stand out to the reader, emphasising the number.
6. The info-graphic contains the use of symbolic and geometric imagery, used in relavence to the content it symbolises. This allows the data to appear more appealing to the viewer, for example the data could be displayed in a standard graph or chart but the designer chooses to display the information in this way. The use of both symbolic and geometric imagery allows the content to be easily understood by the viewer.
(example of a symbolic/geometric image used in this info-graphic.)
7. The use of blue does not seem relevant, due to the content- the damaging effects spam has on the environment. Therefore a grey,or duller colour would seem more appropriate. However the use of grey on these clouds work as they convey the idea of pollution:
The use of colour to create information hierarchy does work well within the text, as it creates a point of interest for the viewer due to the coloured text standing out from the rest of the information.
8. The imagery used supports the content of the specific data effectively, resulting in the user finding meaning in the imagery and text as they can relate the two together. The use of research is reflected in the visuals through the use of including percentages and statistics.
9. There is not a clear design style/ historic movement present in this info-graphic, however it does appear quite modern due to the topic of spam mail and the colours/layout used in the design. Due to the simplicity of the style of the graphics, the user is able to identify the object quickly and correctly.
10. The designer would begin by conducting research into spam mail through the use of interviews and surveys as well as using their own personal experiences. Researching different internet e-mail providers would also be beneficial to gain numbers of spam for example, AOL and Hotmail.
Selecting a specific area of data to focus on would be the next step in order to prevent overwhelming amounts of information. Here, the designer has chosen the carbon footprint of spam mail.
The designer would then look at various design concepts as to how the info-graphic would look to the viewer. Aspects such as font,colour, hierarchy and layout must be considered.
Through experimenting in great depth the designer would then select the aspects from one or each concept that work and create the final concept that communicates the effects of spam mail on the environment clearly while still looking aesthetic to the viewer.
You're not answering all the questions - especially the important bits about how the typography/imagery communicates meaning. This is a crucial part of this exercise and understanding how meaning is communicated in the work of others will help you with yours - that was the purpose of the exercise. By skipping those questions - despite being in a group where you should've discussed this!! - you've not really done the exercise properly.
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