There is no denying that Infographics are a downright effective way to engage any audience. Static Infographics are great, but Interactive Infographics take it to the next level, and dare I say it, add “sizzle” to any data. They not only present data in graphic form, but allow users to interact with the data – unraveling and discovering information at their own terms.
Interactive Infographics are created by the use of a webilicious cocktail (See what I did there?) The most common are HTML, CSS, Flash and JavaScript. HTML is used to structure any web page, CSS is used while formatting a web page, Flash allows you to animate, anything, and with JavaScript, you can create games, clocks, just about anything.
Regardless of how Interactive Infographics are created, they combine animations and illustrations, to beautifully and meaningfully present information in a graphical form.
What are the benefits?
Apart from the general benefits of an Infographic as described here, Interactive Infographics have a few individual benefits of their own:
– They make data engaging.
– They point out casual relationships – connecting one piece of information to the next with fluency.
– They tell the story, within the story.
Several terms describe this form of story telling: interactive graphics, animated graphics, multimedia features, interactive narratives, and explanation graphics.
Nowadays, Interactive Infographics are very popular, especially with news sites such as The New York Times, and BBC who use them to explain complex information clearly and intelligibly.
Creating an Interactive Infographic is no walk in the park, but here’s what to keep in mind if you intend on taking up the challenge:
- Animations – Build animations to draw attention to key aspects of your information.
- Transitions – Set transitions to slide up or sideways (or both) to give a vertical or horizontal Infographic look, zoom in or out, include pop up tabs and links, scroll up and down… There is really no limit to what transitions can be included. It all lies in a designers imagination.
- Hyperlinks – Place hyperlinks on shapes or text and link to other slides to allow your viewers to interact with your Infographic.
Better yet, speak to the pros and let them hassle with all the graphical elements. All you’ll have to do is provide “The Story”.
