Rip it up and start agian

The info graphic as a whole is very easy and straightforward to understand. The very large “SPAM” at the top of the design makes it pretty much effortless to know exactly what the info graphic discusses. By just having images, it probably would be hard to fully understand but the small print and title explain the information very nicely. The small text doesn’t drag on about the problems, which is pleasant, instead gives a brief yet very precise account of the damages spam causes.

ALL the information within the poster was new to me therefore was rather interesting. The information was quite shocking and I had no idea just how damaging spam was. One spam email is the equivalent to driving a car 3 feet and in 2010 the amount of spam emails sent equals the green house gas emissions of driving around the world 2 MILLION TIMES! Crazy! It will be interesting to see if this awareness of an unknown topic about environmental damage will take off and hopefully spark a change. The comparisons to everyday things such as driving a car facilitated the most learning as it made the shocking statistics seem a great deal more real and close to home. It was also relevant as driving seems to be at the pinnacle of the argument based around green house gas emissions, so comparing spam to driving seems very appropriate and fitting.

The design didn’t really jump out to me and persuade me to read although after reading the first fact it instantly gets your attention. The straightforward focused design matches that of the content message which is clear-cut and purposeful. I believe that due to the content and design being uncomplicated, the target audience ranges from everyone. It is more specifically targeted to email account users though as it is them who have experienced spam and can make the difference by getting a spam filter or sharing the news with others.

The info graphic is laid out in a way which is very long and narrow. This is successful as the viewer’s eye is easily lead down the info graphic with no confusion. Your eye is never jumping around the page locking onto other information, which is good. Instead the arrangement of information is placed under each other with suitable spacing so no disconnecting info merges. The blue box in the centre successfully sections the info graphic into 3 and makes the viewer aware of 3 different types of information and statistics (spam’s equivalence to driving / key sources of spam’s carbon footprint / who’s responsible) The layout also creates hierarchy as the first section introduces spasm dangers, the second explores the reasoning and the third answers who is responsible and leaves the viewer pondering whether they are responsible also. The layout leads the viewer to the most important point – “who is responsible?” which is in a larger font size than all other information except from the title.

I don’t feel the type was greatly considered. A modern typeface, similar to Bodoni is used for headings. This type is successful in grabbing attention due to the contrast between thick and thin lines, although doesn’t really convey the damaging aspect of the situation. The typefaces used also appear quite modern as the Os in body text appear to be perfect circles and thin straight serifs are used in the headings. This could perhaps reflect the content, as spam emails are a result of the computer, which is seen as modern. The percentages and results of the comparisons made are in a different type to the body text so straight away sticks out. The size and colour are also altered. These cues signal hierarchy to emphasise the key information and subordinate other surrounding information.

The imagery used is quite symbolic and is in the form of silhouettes. They are similar to certain graphics used on computers which is useful and connects to the theme of spam. They are also mostly geometric which again relates to graphics on the computer. The designer’s choice of imagery connects the viewer to the computer which is successful but also creates a little scenario to be viewed, for example an email with green house gases coming out next to an equal sign which is next to a car driving. The simple scenarios are very clear in explaining the information. The images of smoke at the bottom are clever and sneaky as the smoke is formed in the shape of the country which is causing the damage, and may not be seen at first.

Colour doesn’t play a huge role but overall effectively connects the info graphic. It appears to hold no relation to the content. It perhaps reflects the message as the message is very direct and uncomplicated and so is the colour choice (one colour – neutral blue)

There is a link between research and visuals. A visual of an envelope with greenhouse gas coming out is not necessarily common so this has been created in a way to illustrate that spam emails result in the waste of gases. Also the clever country shaped smoke definitely connects with the research of who is most responsible for spam. The visual of smoke is incorporated very nicely within the research.

I don’t think the design particularly references any historical movements. The design is just very straightforward yet is very focused on exactly what it wishes to express. The style of the graphic I think in a way opposes the content. The overall design is reasonably fun yet the content can be seen as quite serious as it can severely affect the environment in the future. Perhaps making the info graphic too serious would warn off people so the designer’s decision of altering this may invite people in to study the info graphic more openly?

Firstly the designer would have to decide exactly who he/she wants to specifically target. Research would then begin and the designer would choose very specific statistics which may seem fitting to the target audience, and info which would seem shocking and appalling, and not boring or obvious. Once the correct research is gathered the designer would decide the specific design they wish to achieve. They could go down the route of being very serious and sombre, or tone it down a little and make it somewhat fun and approachable. Next the designer would organise the layout and create a suitable format for the research and imagery. He/she would have decided they want the info to be separated into 3 different sections, intentionally placed under one another so the info graphic flows effortlessly. The first statistics seen are the most shocking so are purposely positioned to engage the viewer and attract them to the remainder of the design. A colour scheme would be created reflecting both the research and design intended, as well as typography. Several varied sketches concerning the above would be created and finally the chosen once would be produced on the computer ready for display.