EGEE 495
Energy and Sustainability Policy Internship

Infographic Assignment

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Translating the learning and personal growth that comes from an internship experience can be difficult. While you’ve done a lot of this in your journal entries, the goal of this final assignment is to synthesize your experience in a short, concise way that others will want to review. You will be doing that by creating an infographic. An infographic is a way to integrate your experience and share your learning, growth, and internship story with the world. It also provides you with an educational artifact you can share on a blog, and even in Penn State poster expositions or competitions if you so choose. You can read more about the exciting poster opportunities on the "Sharing Your Experience" page. NOTE: You do not need to be on campus to present. Your advisor can help facilitate remote attendance.

As someone who has completed several different engagement opportunities, I know there is much to share. An infographic will help you tell that story, but more importantly, it will help you reflect on your experience.

An infographic is a way to visually represent your experience in an interesting, clear, and concise way. It should be

  • focused - specific and relevant information;
  • graphic - graphics and images tell the story (fewer than 800 words total);
  • ordered - the sequence should be obvious; simple flow paths and cues should guide the reader.

Please review the following video to learn more about the qualities commonly included in infographics.

What makes an effective infographic (2:13)

Click here for a transcript of the "What makes an effective infographic" video.

PRESENTER: Do you know what it takes to create a unique and engaging infographic? Striking colors? Neat typography? Sensational headlines?

There are so many roads that your infographic could go down. At its core, an infographic is supposed to be a quick and easy way of conveying information to your audience. It should visually appeal to the audience, convey essential data, build awareness, and maybe even generate leads if you're using infographics for business purposes.

So what makes an infographic effective? Number one, informational honesty. We live in an internet age where fact-checking is easier than ever, so be sure that all the information in your infographic is truthful and honest. If you provide figures from somewhere else, back up these figures by asterisking your sources.

Number two, legibility. Although it's tempting to whip out the calligraphy style fonts in an effort to look fancy, you should prioritize fonts that are simple and easy to read. Also, avoid making your infographic too busy, keeping the style on the minimalist side.

Number three, simple illustrations. Make your illustrations simple and ensure that they complement the data being conveyed in the infographic. Complex illustrations will distract your audience from what's important, your message. You're trying to communicate information, not replace Rembrandt.

Number four, limited colors. Limit your color palette if you're trying to create an infographic that is visually appealing. As a general rule of thumb, use three main colors, with the lightest color forming the background and the darker two colors breaking up different sections. Too many clashing colors will give your audience a headache.

Number five, interactive elements. Although adding interactive elements to your infographic is appealing, consider whether it is relevant to what you're trying to achieve. If you need to convey a lot of information about different subjects, interactivity could be the easiest way to spread out this information without having to make your font tiny.

And there you have it. Go forth, and spread your message with your fancy new infographic.

Credit: Easelly, Youtube.com

Infographic Deliverables

The infographic assignment is really a set of three assignments you will complete in succession.

  1. Outline
  2. Draft
  3. Final version

I highly recommend that you read through the entire infographic lesson prior to beginning, so you have a good idea of what the project is and how to approach it.

Special thanks to Hailley Fargo, Head of Education and Outreach Services, Northern Kentucky University for much of the guidance and information contained in this lesson.