What Makes an Infographic?

Mike Rankin

We throw around the term “infographic” a lot these days, but can anyone really give a clear definition of it? Is infographicness in the eye of the beholder? Do you just know it when you see it? Sometimes what you think is an infographic migt be, well, something else.

Case in point: this entertaining, stylish, and amusingly meta creation from the folks at Neo Mammalian Studios, 13 Reason Why Your Brain Craves Infographics.

According to a recent article at Coolinfographics.com, this isn’t even an infographic at all. It’s a “digital poster,” or more cleverly, an “infauxgraphic,” because it presents information without context. Though to be fair, perhaps it should get bonus points for actually having linked footnotes to the sources of the information.

So what defines context, and how much do you need to make a proper infographic? And does this requirement really matter if you’re creating engaging pieces that convey accurate information? Just something to consider the next time you set out to design or commission an infographic.

And in the meantime, check out the other stuff at Neo Mammalian Studios. Whether they’re official infographics or not, popular pieces on everything from Gangnam Style to Deep Sea Mining can offer some cool ideas for your own designs.