Information graphics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to:navigation, search

The Washington Metro subway map

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly^[1], such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. With an information graphic, computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians develop and communicate concepts using a single symbol to process information.

Form this peice of information i can see that information graphics turnes complicatd information into simple(possibly colour coded) images eg bus routes and as shown train routes. Information graphics is used where using text is simpally infeasable due to the detail and complexicty of the chosen subject. information graphics are found in many different types of media, newspapers, tv magazienes etc. in newspapers thge information graphics are usually used for the weather forcast and stocks.

i found this image which is suppost to portray a newspaper article on protestrors being cinfronted by the police. i like this because it is a very inventive peice. i like the idea of a chess board(making moves by both parties) this is a verry real idea, one party has to make the first move.

sign; chesboard with small figures placed in it with some wrds around the edge.

signifiers; police with battons and water hoses. farmers. words 'peicefull protest' and 'violent actions' small eu peice with what looks to be a helmeta nd usa with a cowboy hat on. chess board.

signified; there is some kind of clas between peacefull protesters and the police. the police where the aggressive party in this clash. the usa and the eu where nervious that the police viloence would reflect bad on them. the cowboy hat on the usa signifies that the usa is a wild contery(rednecks?).

i like this image. it is interesting because of the chess board. it really gives the message that war and conflict is based on moves, who makes what move effects the whold thing.

signs, signifiers, signified

Sign.
the media in which the message is portrayed eg metal sheet/ street sign, billboard, vinyl sticker, paper, magazines, digital etc. i beleive that the sign is the actual media in which potrays the message intended. Signs are use to give information in a basic and easy form, pictures are normally used for road side signs as they are not intended to distract the driver, just to give the relevant information as quicly as possible. signs are pictures which have been giving a specific meaning. A sign does not exist with without the signifier or the signified.

signifiers.
the content of the sign which portrays the message. a simple example of a signifier is the dead end sign:

The signifiers in this sign are the actual words 'road closed'

Without actually knowing the meaning of this sign i can tell that it has something to do with horse and cart. this signs signifier is the silhouette of the horse and cart.

I am using this example of road signs due to that fact that they have thse clearest media to decipher. these signs are specifically made to sit under the category in which i am explaining,

Signified:

the signified of a sing is the subject in whitc the sign represents. for example. the horse and cart above, if this signb was on

a road it would signify that h

orse and cart use this road, or the road closed sign, this at the start of a road would signify to motorists that the road isunusible as it is closed.

sign: t shirt whit the silouet of a man

holding rollerblades.. the words 'iblade'

signifiers; man holding rollerblades, words 'i blade'

signified; the person wearing this shirt is a rollerblader

Sign: Adcertisement for B unique clothing

Signifiers:clothing on the right, Julian Bah(pro rollerblader/rapper) wearing a pair of rollerblades and B unique clothing( this person is a symbol of 'coollness' rollerbladers). the person is slouched on the couch.

Signified: B unique clothing is a rollerblade based company, The clothing is designd for rollerbladers. the laid back appearence gives the cool look to the brand.

Sign: Move poster advertising The Lord Of The Rings

Signifiers: dark riders on the bottom with swords drawn, groupe of people (the fellowship) at the top. all of them have weaponns drawn with a look of anxiety on there facs. frodo (charictar in the for ground has a blank look onhis face) picture has a grainy overlay.

Signifid: the dark riders on the horses signify that they are chaceing something. the fellowship all have weapons drawn signifying that there is some kind of battle. frodos blank look signifiers that there is something mistifying happening to him or the fellowship. the gradient overlay gives the poster a old look.

sign: Movie Poster for the film Underworld

signifiers: woman wearing black cat sute allmost a silouet. there is s city in the background(lower left) the sky is a dark blue/grey and is dominated by a unusually large moon. the moon has a werewolf silouett in it verry discreatly. the underworld text is in a very luminious royal blue, this matches the blue overlay that the whole poster has. the poster also contains a releise date.

Signified: the woman has a verry preditory look to her, as if she is stalking or looking over the city below. the sligtly siloueteffect givers her the misterious apperance. she is carrying a pistol which signifys that there weill be action in the movie. the blue tint to the poster gives it a cold feel(vampires are supposibly cold blooded) the text is also bright blue, this text has been blured slightly to make it look asif it is cold. i beleive the text looks like it is in motion due to the fact that the text looks like it is traveling away from you. The city is verry dark and misty, this also gives the city a very misterious feel which seems to be the theme to this poster. the city is in the backgroung symbolising that the charicter is looking over it, maby protecting it. the sky is grey/blue, the clouds appear to be just like the mist from the city. this tells me that the night is eary and scary. the moon is really large, this symbolises that the mon plays a big part in the movie as it takes up most of the room in the poster. the mon has a verry vague silouett of a werewolf, this signifies to me that there will be some kind of action between werewolf and the charicter in the poster. the silouett has its mouth open symbolising anger and aggerssion. this poster contains a llot of shadows, this symbolises to me that ta them in this movie will be the shadows.