What makes an infographic effective? Krum explains that its effectiveness is based on its ability to engage its audience. He writes, “The best infographics tell complete stories. Infographics have become more like articles or speeches than charts. Their purpose can be categorized into the same three objects as public speaking: to inform, entertain, or persuade the audience. They have introductions to get readers’ attention, so the readers know why they should take the time to read the infographic. They end with conclusions and calls to action, so the readers have some indication of what they should do with the information they have just learned” (6). 

 

Infographics are extremely effective at conveying complex, academic research data into a concise, easy-to-understand format. The pairing of various mediums such as text, image and sound is particularly helpful in stimulating a viewer by appealing to various learning styles. Visualizing the data is also a key component of why infographics help communicate the information effectively. Krum explains that the reason for this is because “visualizing data taps into this pattern recognition ability and significantly accelerates the understanding of the data. The human ability to see patterns and trends quickly is the major reason why data visualizations are so powerful as components of infographic design” (16). With these reasons in mind, I suggest that the infographic is a solution that combines both data and narrative together to effectively share your research story to both academics and non-academics alike.