In today’s modern age we are surrounded by information that is represented in an image form. From the simplest icons that can be seen on door signs and road signs to the more complex examples of image based information such as maps. Information graphics sometimes go unnoticed when in fact they play a big part in our day to day life.
The concept of information graphics is simple, you take a piece of information and you simplify it down to some form of image, what the image is totally depends on what type of information you have to start with. For example, a simple piece of information such as ‘This toilet area is reserved for men’ has since been represented by a world wide known stick figure characterization of the ‘standard man’, even though there are no characteristics to the symbol of the man it still gets the message across that the area of this building is reserved for male visitors. Of course you can’t just have a male symbol, you also have to have a female symbol to represent both human genders. The differences between the male stickman icon and the female stickman icon is that on the female version, the character is shown to be wearing a form of dress. Even though it’s not everyday that females wear a dress, because that piece of garment is recognized as a female trend, the symbol represents a female. The graphics are simple and do not require a lot of thought sometimes, but sometimes the more simple a graphic is, the bigger impact it has.
Some more complex examples of information graphics can be seen on things such as maps. Maps take a long time to produce as they have to represent information of whereabouts to a very strict rule of accuracy so that people reading the maps are making the right decisions in direction and end up in the right place according to what the map tells them. The most complex and intriguing examples of maps include whole country maps which take years to make from the vast amount of information that goes into the imagery. Maps sometimes don’t always follow strict accuracy though, for example the famous London tube map that was designed by Harry Beck in 1931. The tube map shows a very slick and simplistic over view of how the London tube system is laid out. A lot of straight lines and very easy to follow once you have gotten the hang of how the tube system works. But in fact, the way the map is laid out has no similarities to how the London tube system is laid out really at all. It is known that if you were to remove the top parts of London to show the underground, the rail lines are in fact all over the place and scattered in various places but always do end up at the right destination to what the inaccurate map shows.
Say that Harry Beck designed the tube map with great accuracy, it would almost be impossible to follow for London commuters. This is why the tube information was simplified to make it more easy to follow and better so more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Plus the readers of the simplified maps are on the correct ground level, so they follow it but are always relying on the lines to go to the right places. If they were to go underground and follow the same map, they would most likely get lost in the depths of London somewhere.
Information graphics are very important in guiding us through life simply and effectively. If it wasn’t for the simplifying of information and putting that information into an image form, life would get kind of boring and would drag on a bit. The variety of symbols, colour ways and other forms of imagery brings a bit of difference into the way that we as people see things in day to day life. Information graphics are important and they’re helping us get on with life simply and efficiently.
