Information Graphic, Part 3: Redesigning our Graphic

Drafting Process
     With the feedback we received from Professor deWinter in mind, we set out to remake our graphic so that is specifically focused on encouraging biology majors to get some computer science experience. Almost immediately, we got the idea to use an image of DNA as the central focus of our infographic. DNA was a perfect choice not only because it is fundamentally related to biology, but also because its form is that of two interlinked strands. This linked structure works very well with the message we are trying to convey that computer science is relevant and important to biology. Our more narrowed focus also allows us to suggest very specific classes for biology students to take at WPI if they wish to expand their computer science knowledge. The two we chose are CS 1004, the introductory computer science course for non-majors, and BCB 100X, a bioinformatics and computational biology course. CS 1004 also has the added bonus of being taught using the language Python, which is commonly used for biology applications. Our initial draft of this version of the graphic appeared as follows:


     While we kept many of the icons used in the original version, we have repurposed their meanings to represent various ways that computer science can be applied to biology. To better integrate the information into the central picture, we positioned these along the contours of the DNA and also used the information on the two courses as the bars linking the two strands.
     This draft does have some significant flaws. For one, it is heavily reliant on text, and has no true graphical display of information. Much of the text is also very small which would make it hard to read in the final 8.5" by 11" size. Yet another issue is the lack of clear flow to the image: none of it's components work together well to guide the eye, so it is a bit confusing the navigate visually. Our first major step towards addressing these flaws resulted in the following graphic:


     This revision has a much clearer visual flow, with the title written along the DNA guiding the eye from the left to the right. By placing the main graphic on a computer monitor, we were able to more strongly link the image to computer science while adding some additional visual interest. The new gray color and smaller scale of the icons helps to reinforce that they are not the first thing the viewer should look at, while still making them appear significant enough to draw attention.
    With this revision we also tried to reduce the reliance on text substantially, and while it did make the graphic feel less cluttered, it did have some drawbacks. The graphic now conveys even less information, and fails to explain what the course numbers mean. The information about code applications has been moved to the bottom, making it less distracting from the overall flow, but it also is still very small and hard to read. Our next pass attempted to remedy these lingering issues:


     This new rendition conveys a great deal more specific information, without a heavy dependence on large blocks of text. The course information has been moved to the space below the monitor, and has been given proper description so that it is clear what is being conveyed. Two of the bars linking the strands of the DNA have been converted into graphs which help to visualize some statistics related to the topic. The yellow strand of the DNA has also been replaced with a blocky "digital" version, which I drew. This new design is intended to evoke the idea of computers and, by extension, computer science. The way it is linked to and intersects the other strand, which suggests life sciences with its blue-green coloration, further reinforces the idea that computer science and biology can be related. The icons have also been re-distributed and changed: the lab automation one has been removed since we have been unable to find anything showing it has very frequent use in research, and we have added more icons and text to illustrate the importance coding. Two of the icons are identical because one is serving as a placeholder, but the other one is the logo for the Python language. I personally am not especially happy with the placement of the text at the top, but am unsure how to arrange it so it feels more cohesively related to the code icons.We were also still unsure what we could fit of use inside the smaller DNA bars, so we left them blank.

Class Feedback
     In lecture on Monday we showed our most current draft (the one pictured above) to the class and received a range of useful feedback:
  • Our coding icons, particularly the Python logo, are not clearly labeled and so are confusing to people who are completely unfamiliar with computer science.
  • Bioinformatics is poorly defined by our graphic.
  • Our "6%" statistic should be reframed to make it more appealing. For instance, we could point out how that means that bioinformatics majors are in higher demand.
  • Our current design is strongly suggesting that people should major in bioinformatics, rather than just become familiar with computer science.
  • Our font choice does not do much to convey the idea of computer science.
  • Our colors, aesthetics, and inclusion of a money statistic and image make our graphic appeal to a specifically male audience, which was not intended. We could help remedy this by incorporating images of female scientists, and perhaps referencing how applying computer science makes it easier to help people through biology.
We will try to incorporate much of this into our final product. While the specifics of doing that are not completely planned out, we are looking to at least add an image of a scientist with a ponytail to one of the smaller DNA bars to help the image appeal to a female audience as well. I also think it might be worth changing the layout so that the gray icons are running along the title strand instead of the yellow one to improve the overall flow of the infographic.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 24, 2017 at 1:26 PM

    I really enjoyed seeing your thought process and you constructed different drafts! Again, I love the concept of the DNA double helix, it does drive your point home while emphasizing biology. I think I might like your original double helix, with just the two solid colors, more than the final version you brought to class. Your graphic is already busy, and I think having two solid, curved lines could distract the reader less.

    This is a link to the Amgen careers page: https://careers.amgen.com/job-search-results/?keyword=computational%20biology
    I searched for Computational Biology and 139 positions appeared. In today's job market, I think that this is huge. Like you had mentioned in class, there is a huge need, and incorporating companies that have such a need could help persuade life science majors to take CS/bioinformatics courses.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 25, 2017 at 8:17 AM

    I loooove seeing your progression from first draft to the final you showed us in class. Your color scheme and your ideals in this "final" draft are super super visually appealing. One thing that wasn't addressed in class is your title. You included two titles in your first draft, and I think those function really well to capture a viewer's attention. Looking back at your final, you have your title incorporated into the double helix, but that isn't really where the viewer's eye would initially go. Maybe try to incorporate another title/identifying, or make your existing title bigger and more eye catching so that the viewer will not skip over it.

    Overall, however, your infographic is extremely professional and I would throw cash money into mass producing it for sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownNovember 25, 2017 at 9:51 AM

      I'm curious as to what you mean by the title not being where the eye initially goes. As far as I understand, people usually start examining a graphic from the upper-left, and that's where you would see the start of the title in the current version. Is the issue just that the title text itself doesn't stand out from its surroundings enough?

      As for the second title suggestion, I personally feel like we accomplished what the initial draft's second title was trying to do with our current version's "Interested ..." line. While it could be made bolder, the eye does naturally go down to the bottom after exploring the upper part so viewers would naturally find it.

      Delete
    2. Natasha LeveyNovember 26, 2017 at 7:58 PM

      I agree with Caroline; my eye does not naturally find the title. Even though our eyes do go from top to bottom, they go from left to right first. The double-helix has a bit of space before it starts, so the eye goes left, and the drops when it realizes there's nothing there. Or else the eye keeps going left until it finds the text above the python logo. Either way, though the eye finds the title quickly enough, it's not immediate or natural.

      Other than that, I really like it! I didn't realize that the DNA was also meant to represent the unity of code and biology. Is there a way to make that more apparent? Maybe make the title strand more obviously bio?

      Delete
    3. UnknownNovember 26, 2017 at 8:18 PM

      I think the thing that immediately catches my eye is the yellow design aspects - but that may be just a personal thing!

      Delete
  3. BenjiboyNovember 25, 2017 at 7:37 PM

    First off, your design is great! Even though the progression from the first draft to your most recent isn't drastic, it has brought the graphic from good to professional. I like how you decided to angle the double helix, it creates a nice visual flow for the reader. To me, it does not seem to have a definitive direction in which the viewer is supposed to read the graphic but given the simplicity of the information I think that it works out just fine.

    As discussed in class, the eye is drawn to anything near the top left of the image and in this case I think it works to your advantage. Although the title doesn't initially jump out at me, I wanted to start up in the corner where I immediately picked up on the title of the graphic. Overall, I think it is well structured and visually appealing and I look forward to seeing the final touches.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownNovember 26, 2017 at 9:35 AM

    I love your info-graphic and being able to see the progression of your design process! It is very clear that a lot of time and thought went into every component of it. In previous comments there is alot of comments about the flow of the title. Personally, I agree with Caroline as it blends in for me and was not the first thing that caught my eye. To me, it personally reads more as a tag line than a title just because it isn't so rigid and title like. However, that being said, I think it works for what your info-graphic is trying to do. It guides the further reading and encourages that natural feel that I personally associate with science and more specifically biology. It juxtaposes the computer typeface you use and really helps meld the two worlds of computers and biology. It's different. It's unique. For me, it's not quite eye catching but I think what it adds to your graphic overall is worth compromising on it being super title like.

    ReplyDelete

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