Written with Elad Piran
Infographics are defined as illustrating information using graphical tools. Business Intelligence (hereby known as BI) deals with the production of knowledge relevant from a business point of view, yet containing an array of data. User Experience (hereby referred to as UX) is what the user(s) actually experience while operating a system or product.
How is the relationship between them reflected?
For years we have been debating over the way processed data should be presented in order to enable us to extract from knowledge and information essential for the organization. For years we have been investing time, effort and financial resources in the use of various types of graphical presentations: Vertical graphs, horizontal graphs, banners, dashboards, gauges, etc. What have we not tried?
For years, managers find the task of making decisions, based on data, rather difficult; they do not always understand how to see through the clutter of reports, nor through sophisticated Dashboards.
So, what is the story? What is the data telling us here?
Let’s begin, by defining that not in all case, infographics, to be presented here, can be of assistance. Yet, in places in which we as an organization attempt to illustrate the meaning of data to a manager, consumer or any other user, Infographics fills in the missing component. As a result of an understanding of UX, it offers us another direction-unique graphics that doesn't give every presented item similar prominence rather emphasizes the message we wished to convey through this information. The user experiences the data rather than only sees them and therefore successfully assimilates them.
I believe that the info-graphic examples speak for themselves…
A ROM Knowledgeware greeting card:
Examples of info-graphic templates (available on the web):
Indeed, as the demonstrated in the examples, information seems clear, and is easy to decide upon, when infographics are involved.
So, you probably ask, where's the catch?
To state simply: good info graphics are not simple to create.
There is no automatic, straight forward way to create good infographics,
The bottom line is that in the meantime we have to work hard and be very creative. Probably, as in other fields, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
References:
From Wikipedia: BI, UX, and Infographics.
Maya Fleisher, Infographics-visual information published in 2Know Magazine, ROM Knowledgeware, January 2013
Business Intelligence Ella Antes, published in: 2Know Magazine, ROM Knowledgeware April 2012
User Experience, Liron Regal, Published in: 2Know Magazine, October 2011
To use information intelligently in order to make decisions Dr. Moria Levy
Comments