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Making the Case with InfographicsAlliance for Biking & Walking Mutual Aid CallWednesday, December 4, 2013

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Teres no denying that when it comes to social sharing, pictures speak louder than words. On this call, we

discussed how advocates can use visual representations o inormation to strengthen their work.

Recap: Advice from Mary Lauran Hall (Communications Director, Alliance for Biking &Walking) and Paul Halupka (Graphic Designer, Active Transportation Alliance)

Characteristics of infographics

Optimized or the internet; designed to look good on an internet browser andofen on a tablet.

Long and skinny to get people to scroll down.

Present inormation in a visually engaging way. Difference between inographics & data visualization: Inographics have a more

editorial perspective and are attempting to persuade viewer o something. Data visu-alization is more objective, presenting datasets in a visual way but not necessarily tell-ing a story. (For reerence, compare thisvisualized data setwith this infographic).

Tips on finding/recruiting/securing and working with graphic designers

Sometimes its possible to find an intern, college student, or riend o your organi-zation who can work cheap or pro bono. However,you should expect to pay fora quality infographic. As with most services, you will get what you pay or, so itsworth investing time and money to secure a good designer.

Seek out graphic designers with specific expertise in creating inographics. Ask to seea designers portolio and look or past inographic work.

I you dont know any desigerns, find proessional graphic designers in your area us-ing the American Institute of Graphic Arts website.

You will go through several rounds o revisions with your designer. Speciy thenumber o rounds o revisions in the design contract so that both sides know what toexpect.

I you have access to the Adobe Creative Suite, ask your designer to send you thedesign files (most likely Adobe Illustrator files) at the end o the process so you canrepurpose parts o the inographic or consumption in other ormats. See theseAmerica Bikes postersor an example o how inographics can be scaled up.

Choosing and presenting information

Te design goal o an inographic is to hook the viewer initially and then draw him/her in to digest the rest o the graphic. Te inormation included should be arrangedin a hierarchy that draws the viewer on to the desired conclusion.

Choose the most robust acts and numbers that support your argument, and be sureto cite your sources.

http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/http://activetrans.org/http://payload88.cargocollective.com/1/2/71968/4067272/Du2Bkl.jpghttp://visual.ly/how-much-are-american-shoppers-spending-yearhttp://www.aiga.org/http://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://www.aiga.org/http://visual.ly/how-much-are-american-shoppers-spending-yearhttp://payload88.cargocollective.com/1/2/71968/4067272/Du2Bkl.jpghttp://activetrans.org/http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/

8/13/2019 Making the Case With Infographics

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Making the Case with InfographicsAlliance for Biking & Walking Mutual Aid CallWednesday, December 4, 2013

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When possible, use symbols and imagery instead o words. Te inographic should ollow the tone and voice o your organizations other com-

munications.

Social sharing is a big component o inographics. I youve invested time and moneyin creating an inographic, make sure you house it on a page with eatures that enablepeople to share it with one click. Heres an example.

Inspiration and Additional Resources

Who Pays for Our Roads?- BA Oregon created this inographic to illustrate how bicy-

clists pay or roads. STP, CMAQ, HSIPand TAP- Tese inographics by Advocacy Advance explain how

biking & walking unding work within the ederal transportation bill.

How were making bicycling better PeopleForBikes 2013 winter appeal took the ormo an inographic.

Americans Support Funding for Sidewalks and Bike Lanes- America Bikes created aninographic to illustrate the depth o public support or ederal biking & walking und-ing.

America Bikes infographic posters- Photos rom an America Bikes press conerence,eaturing background posters made with Adobe Illustrator files rom an inographic.

Women Bike infographic - Tis graphic, designed by Paul Halupka or the League oAmerican Bicyclists, illustrates why women ride.

http://www.americabikes.org/2012surveyhttp://bikeportland.org/2013/11/12/do-bikes-get-a-free-ride-advocates-infographic-shows-why-not-96950http://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/STP_flow_chart.pdfhttp://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/CMAQ_flow_chart.pdfhttp://http://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/HSIP_flow_chart.pdfhttp://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/map_21_infographic.pdfhttp://b.3cdn.net/bikes/33faef93ca8a427cf0_qim6b82e7.pnghttp://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/images/uploads/Bikerowave_income_and_expenses.pdfhttp://http://www.americabikes.org/2012surveyhttp://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://bikeleague.org/sites/lab.huang.radicaldesigns.org/files/CAT-2_v5_final_edit.jpghttp://bikeleague.org/sites/lab.huang.radicaldesigns.org/files/CAT-2_v5_final_edit.jpghttp://www.americabikes.org/photos_survey_releasehttp://www.americabikes.org/2012surveyhttp://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/images/uploads/Bikerowave_income_and_expenses.pdfhttp://http://b.3cdn.net/bikes/33faef93ca8a427cf0_qim6b82e7.pnghttp://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/map_21_infographic.pdfhttp://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/HSIP_flow_chart.pdfhttp://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/CMAQ_flow_chart.pdfhttp://http://www.advocacyadvance.org/site_images/content/STP_flow_chart.pdfhttp://bikeportland.org/2013/11/12/do-bikes-get-a-free-ride-advocates-infographic-shows-why-not-96950http://www.americabikes.org/2012survey