Information Visualizing for Advocacy
Information for Advocacy
an Introduction to Information Design
An Introduction to Information Design
Contents
This manual offers an introduction to information design. It is intended to provide NGOs with a useful and powerful tool for advocacy and research.
1
Introduction
The manual was written and designed by
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What is Information Design?
8
How Can You Use Information Design?
John Emerson, Principal at Apperceptive LLC. http://backspace.com, http://apperceptive.com
10
Information Design for Advocacy
http://tacticaltech.org
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Information Design for Analysis
Thanks to Caroline Kraabel, as well as Colleen
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Information Design for Consumer Education
15
Information Design for Strategy
20
How to Begin
21
Planning Your Information Design
24
Assessing Your Data
25
Sorting and Sketching
28
Assessing Your Media
32
Designing Your Graphics
34
Clarifying Your Graphics
35
More Tips
40
Evaluate and Iterate
41
Additional Resources
42
Free Software Tools
It was coordinated and produced by the Tactical Technology Collective.
Macklin, Jane Pirone and Jesus Farcierth of Parsons the New School for Design for their comments and help. Sponsored by the Open Society Institute Information Program. Printed in India, January 2008.
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» On the cover: Illustrations from the Citizens Guide to the Airwaves use different types of land use as a metaphor for how the U.S. government mismanages licensing of the public radiofrequency spectrum to private corporations. See pages 34 and 35 inside for more on this example. 2
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Introduction Advocacy organizations tend to collect a lot of information. They often package this information into detailed written reports. While these reports support policy recommendations and are valuable reference tools, they may not be the most effective way to make an impact within a campaign. We live in an information-rich environment and in our daily lives constantly receive messages conveyed through design. Many of these messages seek to influence as well as inform, serving a variety of commercial and non-commercial interests. How do you make your message heard?
»
Your campaign has vital information on an urgent issue. Just Vision tells the stories of Palestinians and Isaelis working together for peace. Instead
of presenting a single account of the history of the conflict, the site hosts a collaborative, subjective timeline composed of personal recollections. See http://justvision.org
»
A project of Greenpeace, Exxon Secrets charts funding by the Exxon Foundation to
institutions and individual “climate change skeptics” working to undermine solutions to global warming and climate change. The interface makes it easy to visualize and navigate the research. See http://exxonsecrets.org
How do you tell your story effectively? How can NGOs make their messages as attractive and compelling as other, competing, information? By using information design. Information design can help tell your story to a variety of constituencies. You can use it as an advocacy tool, for outreach or for education. You can facilitate strategic planning by making a visual map of a given situation. This pamphlet is divided in two parts: first an overview of information design, what it is and how it can be used for social change, followed by some basic principles, tips and advice to help you get started. The examples included in this pamphlet were made by advocacy organizations, media companies and individuals around the world. The graphics show some of the many ways information can be designed and how information design can be used in your campaign.
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1
Middle East Crisis: Who backs an immediate cease-fire?
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Kofi Annan, speaking for the United Nations, said yesterday, “The collective punishment of the Lebanese people must stop. What is urgently needed is the immediate cessation of hostilities.”
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Margaret Beckett, Foreign Secretary, addressing the Cabinet yesterday, said: “What people are really saying is they want a ceasfire with rockets still going into Israel.”
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This editorial information graphic ran on the cover of the Belfast Telegraph in July 2006.
At a glance, it effectively shows the stark contrast between the majority and the minority —
It dramatically illustrates the world reaction to the Israeli bombing of Lebanon.
and invites examination of the relationships between the countries in the minority.
2
3
What is Information Design?
Information Design Tells a Story
Information design uses pictures, symbols, colors, and words to communicate ideas, illustrate information or express relationships visually.
Information design tells a story with pictures.
It can help illustrate complexity, showing relationships between ideas or actors, or providing a snapshot of changing systems. It takes many forms and appears in many media. Some familiar forms include charts, graphs, maps, diagrams or timelines. These can be big or small, simple or complex, published in print or electronic media.
Effective design is not just a matter of making text pretty or entertaining, but of shaping understanding and clarifying meaning.
Information design can help you present your information in a clear and compelling way, persuasively convey facts or ideas or discover something new in your data.
Information design adds seeing to reading to make complex data easier to understand and to use.
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Compelling Visuals grab people’s attention.
Convincing People who might not be persuaded by raw numbers or statistics may be more likely to understand and believe what they see in a chart or graphic.
Human Rights Watch
web site Many Eyes shows the
report Ituri: “Covered
large number of prisoners jailed
in Blood,” Ethnically
on drug-related charges in the
Targeted Violence in
United States.
Northeastern Congo implicates national
It allows the reader to compare
governments in local
the number of people jailed
violence.
for drug charges versus those jailed for other offenses.
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It is not the same as graphic design, nor is it only about making something aesthetically pleasing. It’s not about branding, style, making a glossy product or something that looks “corporate.”
It makes complex information easier to understand.
This graph generated on the
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Information design brings form and structure to information.
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It can tell “how many?” “when?” or “where?” It can show trends over time, compare elements or reveal hidden patterns.
Information design is about making your data:
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The accompanying diagram illustrates
It reveals the disproportionate
government
impact of drug laws, and points
relationships, trade,
to a failure of mandatory
and training of armed
sentencing legislation.
political groups in Ituri.
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5
The Highline is an abandoned elevated-train railway which runs along the edge of New York City. The railway was neglected for decades and was slated for demolition when a coalition formed a campaign to save the unique structure and convert it into an innovative, elevated public park. As part of its strategy, the coalition to save the Highline held a series of open meetings where they used a wide variety of photos, illustrations and diagrams to present the audience, the media and public officials with a vision of how the park could be revitalized and developed. The two timeline graphics shown here were a part of these presentations. Designed by the landscape architecture firm Field Operations, the graphics artfully evoke the evolution of flora and fauna, and public usage, over the course of four years. After years of campaigning, the coalition has successfully won the legislative and financial support needed to save the Line and start converting it into 1.5 miles of new public space. Images © 2004. Field Operations with Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Courtesy the City of New York.
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7
How Can You Use Information Design? Here are just a few ways you can use information design:
Tell Your Story
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