Infographics are a
FABULOUS way to share information. As
librarians, and educators in general, sharing information is an important part
of our job. If done properly, an
infographic is a very powerful way to get data across in a simple way. One splendid example of this is:
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| Retrieved from https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7zn21ogbx7hrvko/AADB87N9rK1qmQn-sMCdUXa5a?dl=0&preview=DiversityInChildrensBooks2018_f_8.5x11.jpg |
In order to be
able to understand and utilize infographics meaningfully, I tried out three
different webapps to see which one I work best with. I read two articles (see references below)
from the Pew Research Center and used the data from those articles to create an
Infographic in each of the webapps.
Positives: It is easy to set
up an account, clear and perfectly simple.
Negatives: It doesn’t have very many options for
backgrounds, layouts, images, or anything else without upgrading to premium. I
cannot download the infographic, and I can only share it online. A further negative, I totally missed the “layout”
options the first time I used it. Thus,
my very simple and boring infograph.
This program would benefit from an introduction of how their app works like
the others have so that users know what they are doing from the beginning.
Positives: It explains what the
site is about before you sign up. It
also has little pop-up windows to assist you if you need help, different
templates, interesting content, lots of options for images and shapes, many
fonts, and it allows you to download and save and share. It does have paid options, but they are not
in your face and there are many free options.
The webapp has crisp, clear images and fonts and creates an inviting
infograph. The text and images are easy
to modify.
Negatives: I tried to find
something, but can’t find anything to complain about.
Positives: It explains the program before asking you to
make an account, lets you preview templates before starting them, has more
options than Easel.ly, and FANTASTIC images and gifs that make the
presentations pop.
Negatives: It doesn’t have as many options as Piktochart,
and you cannot download without buying a higher-level package. The only other
negative is that I need more practice using it so that the transitions and
effects work better together.
In the end, I am going with Piktochart
as the best choice for me because it is easy to use AND makes a great
infograph.
References
Jiang, J. (2018, August 22). How
teens and parents navigate screen time and device distractions.
Pew Research
Center Internet & Technology. Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions/
Schaeffer, K. (2019, August 23).
Most U.S. teens who use cellphones do it to pass time, connect
with others, learn
new things. Factank: News in the
numbers. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/23/most-u-s-teens-who-use-cellphones-do-it-to-pass-time-connect-with-others-learn-new-things/
Emily, I liked how you presented your positives and negatives about the three infographic platforms, that you tried out. Presenting the information in that way makes it helpful for your readers. My favorite was Easelly. One of the reasons that I like Easelly so much is because it offers its users the option of copying and pasting the user’s own images for free.
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