Sketches
Now that I had decided on a topic, it was time to start planning. I began by sketching out different ways I could visualise the data. For example, how I could use bar charts, pie charts, illustration, and colour. This gave me a better idea of the style and layout of the infographic.
Next, I began sketching out how I wanted to lay everything out. I split it into different sections, giving me a better idea of where I would put everything.
Digital Wireframe
I created a digital wireframe in Miro as it enabled me to add pre-made icons and charts. This allowed me to better plan the sizing, colour, and hierarchy of the different elements. It is very simple, but it was useful to look back on when designing my final infographic. Here are some screenshots of the wireframe:
Illustrations
Before starting the infographic, I wanted to have some illustrations completed so I could add them in as I went along. I really enjoyed illustrating for this project as it challenged me and helped me improve my illustration skills.
Mood board:
My illustrations:
I am happy with how these turned out. I feel that the pop of colour provides a nice break from the colour pallet. They will make the infographic more interesting to look at and more visually appealing. I aim for these illustrations to create an emotional reaction from the audience and help put my message across on how much marine animals are affected by us.
First draft
Colour
This is the colour pallet I chose. It works well for the shades of blue for the sky and ocean. It also has a white colour which can be used for text. The dark blue shade can also be used for this.
Typography
“Anton”: This is the typeface I chose to be used for headings. This can also be seen throughout for statistics within the circles. I thought this was effective as its bold, so it stands out. It is also easy to read.
“Lora”: This is the typeface used for bodies of text. It is simple and easy to read. It is also a versatile font meaning I could make important text stand out by making it bold.
More about my infographic
The infographic starts with the title “Our Plastic Oceans”. Its effective as its short and to the point. Using the word “Our” is effective as it makes the audience feel like they could be part of the problem, but at the same time, help be part of the solution. Below the title you can see a pipe dumping plastic into the ocean. I think this is powerful and sets the tone for the rest of the graphic. The plastic from this pipe can be seen throughout the graphic which guides the user down through the information. Similarly, the water starts as a light blue and gets darker as the reader moves down, giving the impression that they are moving deeper into the ocean.
I think that the circles around a lot of the facts and statistics works well as it draws people’s eyes in. It also resembles a ripple effect like you would see in the ocean.
After a few statistics, the first section covers the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”. A shocking fact that I discovered in my research was that the rubbish here outnumbers sea life 6 to 1. For the illustration of this I added 6 objects of plastic for every 1 fish. This helps readers visualise this fact so they can better understand the reality of this.
We then move onto the “contributors” section. This includes two bar charts showing plastic waste per person and per country. This gives readers a better understanding of where and who the problem lies with. It’s also a good way to visually compare between countries.
“The Bigger Issue” section displays more statistics using the ripple effect. All of these are short and easy to read, with the most important text in bold and bigger sizing. Here, I also have my first pie chart talking about how much of marine animals we catch go unused. The 40% unused is in a dark red, making it stand out and grab your attention. I then have the whale illustration with the plastic bag behind it. I think this is powerful and provides a break from the information.
The second pie chart informs the reader that 46% of the waste in our ocean is fishing nets. This is a fact many people don’t know as it is hidden from us. Many big companies that are fighting against plastic pollution don’t talk about this, instead, they tell us to use paper straws. This is a point I really wanted to get across because more people need to know about this to save our oceans.
This is the point I got up to for the group critique and I still need to add more sections. My next post will include the feedback, corrections, and final infographic.