Infographics are visual representations of information based on various theories of visual perception that serve as tools to facilitate the understanding and memorization of information. In this thesis, we focused on exploring these theories and applying them in practice.
The main purpose of the thesis was to create a process infographic that would allow the target audience – students – to better understand the thesis writing process and also simplify that process for them. When a student is faced with such a large amount of information in the form of raw text for the first time, they can quickly lose motivation for the work and experience cognitive overload. Our infographic as an introduction to the website would be a simple and student-friendly way to present the process and an overview of the entire process.
In the theoretical part of the thesis, we examined the importance of visual representation of information as a mean to better understand data and the psychological basis for it. We studied the literature on visual perception and became familiar with the concept of cognitive load. We defined some principles of Gestalt theory that form the basis for design. In a brief historical review, we showed some infographics that represent milestones in their field. Finally, we addressed the elements of design and, with the help of various sources, compiled a list of guidelines for creating high-quality infographics, which we later used in the experimental work.
In the experimental part, we obtained the desired results in seven stages. First, we performed a graphical analysis of the website environment and a content analysis, the result of which was the information architecture. Then we developed conceptual designs by researching existing infographics and freehand sketches. Finally, we designed an infographic and tested it on the target audience – students. The test results provided an objective assessment of the functionality and also provided recommendations, some of which were taken into account in the final optimization of the product.
In the course of work on the thesis, the main product was a process infographic about the preparation and creation of the final work, and a side project were two documents to help manage this process.
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