Infographics are surprisingly not a new marketing trend, they just came back in style. Unlike the 8o’s fashion trends which most of us begrudgingly dug out from the back of our closets, bringing the infographic back is a great thing! An infographic, or information graphic, is a visual representation of complex information displayed in a quick and clear format. Infographics provide an excellent opportunity for the left and right sides of our brain to meet in the middle. By accompanying factual information with visual aids it helps the audience better understand the data.

Infographics have become popular in the marketing world recently because they put the data in plain sight. This approach virtually speeds up our decision time which is appealing to advertisers because of their audience’s shortened attention span. When you take complex information and explain it in an appealing format, such as an infographic, your data becomes more than just numbers and your message then resonates with people. An infographic is like the picture book of complex data, it is accessible to many people.

Check out this blast from the past, vintage infographics dating back to 1923. The infographic hasn’t changed much in the last 89 years, they are more accessorized but the general premise has remained the same. As every savvy marketer knows it’s all about repurposing vintage and delivering it in a way that feels new and trendy to your audience.  The recent popularity of the infographic can be attributed to the internet. As opposed to 1923, infographics now have the platform to go viral, which further contributes to their accessibility.

What can you do to make your infographic stand out?

-Create Interactive Infographics, using Flash, like this one Oil’d by Chris Harmon. An interactive infographic allows designers and developers to visualize multiple layers of data in a single interface, simultaneously providing rich information and a dynamic user experience.

-Utilize motion and animation to create Motion Infographics. These infographics are narrative-based, and combine illustrations, data visualizations, and kinetic text to share information on a particular topic. Check out this example of a motion infographic

-Bring your infographic to the iPad. Make the information interactive by creating hotspots for your reader to click on and learn more. The advantage to this interactive design is it eliminates clutter on your infographic and engages the reader. To provide further information consider including a hyperlink.

Infographics help communicate information in a digestible manner as they creatively present data in an understandable and engaging format. What are some of your favorite infographics?

As the digital world continues to grow, it’s difficult to keep up with the innovative and creative technology. The photography blog by Jamie Beck, From Me To You, has a collection of gorgeous photographs ranging from nature to fashion. Jamie is a style icon herself and was recently asked to photograph New York Fashion week at Bryant Park. Jamie’s posts on Fashion week included beautiful still images as well as a series of images with movement. In a recent post, Jamie explains how the images with movement work and coined the term “cinemagraphs.”

“We wanted to tell more of a story than a single still frame photograph but didn’t want the high maintenance aspect of a video” - Fast Company

According to the post, cinemagraphs are still images with movement that are created using “still and video equipment and use Adobe After Effects and Photoshop for editing.” Jamie uses  HTML5 instead of Flash when creating cinemagraphs because it is best for sharing on social media and for commercial or website graphics. Jamie states “the layers that HTML5 offers is also exciting and something we are eager to experiment with,” we’re eager for Jamie to experiment with them as well! The result is a beautiful image design with a life-like quality. Cinemagraphs help tell a story similar to the way a video or presentation would but in much simpler terms. The slight movement brings the image to life, whether it is a reflection of a moving car or windblown hair.

Jamie’s post on cinemagraphs discusses the importance of designing for Tumblr users and the differences between Tumblr and standard web design. The blog is full of great tips, interesting images, and inspiring content, check it out here! Good luck to Jamie in 2012 and we look forward to seeing what she produces next!

Happy New Year! 2011 was named the “Year of Mobile” so it’s important to ask what’s next in this ever growing field. CGI broke into the mobile market in 2011 by bringing presentations and apps to tablets and smart phones. We’re excited to see where we can grow with mobile in 2012. Here are our top three predictions for the next twelve months:

• Mobile Presentations: A one on one presentation can benefit from being presented on a tablet, such as the iPad. Not only does the presentation design look great, it’s interactive and easy to use and you will be sure to impress clients with an innovative new way of presenting.
• Tablets Replace PC’s: Tablets are quickly gaining momentum in the sales and marketing departments of Fortune 500 companies as the best way to present information. They are easy to use, portable, and great for presenting on the go.
• Digital Marketing Initiatives Grow: Smart phones are everywhere these days and marketers are taking advantage of the growing mobile market by creating digital marketing initiatives – from checking in with FourSquare to playing games like SCVNGR  digital marketing initiatives targeting mobile devices will continue to grow throughout 2012 and for years to come.