A look at all the results from a quick Google search for “infographics”
It seems everybody loves information graphics these days, and why not? They’re an easy, colorful way to present information across the web to huge audiences. More and more often, though, I’m seeing infographics used for some serious topics. Not just trendy topics like movie nominees or cooking tips, but real issues, like total timeline of the earth, or a critical look at the worldwide phenomenon of bee death.
Hovering at the intersection of an artistic illustration and a scientific report, these 21st century ways of visually presenting data and ideas are becoming an increasingly valuable method for bringing new concepts to previously untapped audiences. This makes infographics particularly useful for science because they break down barriers typically associated with a “traditional” scientific presentation. Here’s why:
1. They can cut out the topic-specific jargon.
Confusing words and specific names usually weigh down most scientific writings and explanations. Since infographics are made to be presented to broad audiences, they must combine those typically dense explanations and technical speak with straightforward visuals and easy-to-read captions to be successful.
2. They can be read by anyone.
Infographics today can provide visual explanations generally science-savvy viewers can appreciate, instead of providing something only a specialized professional can understand.
3. They can be interactive.
No text-based report can offer a viewer a chance to explore the relationships amongst the data points in a real-time, direct comparison way like an infographic can. Letting a user sift through the data presented on his or her own gives them a personal appreciation for the interplay of the topic at hand.
4. They can be designed specifically to present its information in an intuitive, easy-to-follow design.
While a traditional research article must follow strict guidelines on its presentation format, an infographic can be designed in any way which best suits the topic at hand. Then, the principles of design used in almost any other informational publication can be used to ensure the best possible chance of learning.
The Simple Science Blog 
I love infographics – they are easy to understand and visually appealing, but the ciewer may need to be aware of what information is not included. Some poorly created infographics don’t include scales, titles, or other information that allow the viewer to accurately understand the information (such as titles or scales on a graph).