February 03, 2013 | Infographics | 0 comments
I have always been fascinated by weather. Growing up I was certain I would be a meteorologist. That said, I did not create this infographic because of my secret weather passion. I created it, because last month was a whirlwind of crazy and unpredictable weather. I wanted to take the data from the peak and drops of the temperature and illustrate it in a creative and easily understood way. I also wanted to use this infographic as an opportunity to discuss my progress from idea to final product. I have laid out the steps below:
As mentioned above, I wanted this infographic to cover the wacky weather those of us in Indianapolis experienced last month, January 2013. Specifically I wanted to illustrate the temperature changes and not focus on precipitation, wind or any other factor.
There are many variables related to weather, so I listed out what I could come up with that was related including:
I needed a credible source to find all the data, but the marketer in me also wanted to choose a source that might spread the word through social channels. So I made a list:
Purpose of an infographic is to more effectively communicate data in a visual and creative way. In order to achieve this, I listed out all the possible visuals I could incorporate including:
I took all of the information above and compared it to the purpose to filter out anything getting off track. I knew I wanted this to fit and be readable in an email and on a mobile device, so I choose 640px as my target width. I did create it as a vector in Illustrator, in case I wanted to reuse elements for something else down the road. I also LOVE the pen tool in Illustrator. I created a simple grid for layout and marked hierarchy for where I wanted each phase of data within my sketch. I knew I wanted to use icicles to show peaks and drops in temperature. I also had a vision while taking a break and heading to Walmart. I pulled my collar up to block the wind and thought, “Hey! I gotta use that!.” I wanted something to contrast this, so I thought what better than some dude popping his collar with shades on. I sketched out the characters and knew I had to use them. Finally, I wanted to incorporate the Indianapolis skyline somehow, so I found a vector version on iStock.com. I wanted the infographic to stay true to the look and feel of my brand and website, so I used my typefaces, blue tones and a layer of texture over top.
This was a fun little project. Hope you enjoyed it and learned something about Indianapolis weather and how I create an infographic.