Introduction
It is time to make a detailed plan of how your infographic is going to look. This process will rely heavily on sketching. Don’t worry if your sketching abilities are lacking. The idea of a sketch is to just get your thoughts down on paper.
Brainstorming
You will want to start brainstorming what type of graphics will be representing your data. We will do some of this during class, but it would be good to get a jump start on it. A good exercise is to write down any words that are associated with the data or your hook. For instance the word “Rodeo” might conjure up the words cowboy, ranch, pain, cows, horses, etc. These words become a good source of ideas that lead into what type of graphics you will want to incorporate into your infographic.
Sketching
Start sketching out rough drafts of your graphics once you have settled on some ideas. The first round of sketches can be very rough. You might want to refer to Google images for a quick reference of what some of your items look like. Avoid tracing other peoples illustrations or photos. You will need to fill a 8.5″x11″ paper with small sketches. You should have approximately 20 sketches filling this page. I would encourage you to make upwards of 40 sketches to really get the creative juices flowing.
Outline
The next step is to organize all of your data and rough sketches into an infographic form. Use another 8.5″x11″ paper to sketch out where you want to place things. This sketched outline should include all of the elements required for your final infographic. As you sketch this outline think about the design principles and rules of typography. Don’t make all elements the same size. Create some hierarchy. Also plan out how you will direct the eye of your reader. Are your graphical elements pulling the eye in a logical order? Do you need some directional graphics like lines or arrows? Revisit some of the infographics that you pinned on Pinterest. How did these designers lead the eye through their designs?
Submission
This activity can be included in any of your updates, but this activity must be included also in your final project blog post.
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