by Rob Paterson
May 26, 2011 at 7:20 am · Filed under
Infographics
I have been involved in many acquisitions back in the day when I was an Investment Banker. Experience taught me that what helps to make them work is seeing where the value really is and where the problems are that have to be solved. “Seeing” these issues is hard. So it is helpful to have a team design an infographic to put the business issues into context. It is timely to see this new one on Skype. (PS the other issues are to do the same with Culture)
So have a look at this and ask what are the business issues re Skype that pop out for you?
Via: OnlineMBA.com
by Rob Paterson
May 25, 2011 at 1:43 pm · Filed under
Infographics
One of the most impenetrable bills is the farm bill. How can anyone know what it is all about? – this is typical of much legislation – the result – we accept bad things because we cannot know. Even if you did read the whole thing, I bet you and I still would be in the dark.
But a smart group now are doing the hard work and are then distilling key issues into Infographics.
Here is the one on Corn - that receives the largest subsidy of all. And is as you will see – so destructive.
What this tells me is that with some work – we can look into the most complex situations and find meaning. It takes quite a mind to pull this off though. Not your average graphic artist! (Sasha Breger Bush)
by Rob Paterson
May 22, 2011 at 1:22 pm · Filed under
Infographics
I don’t know about you but I don’t pick up information very well on the web anymore. I have got so used to scanning that I don’t read carefully.
I don’t think I am alone either. I think that this is why one of the new skills is the “Haiku Post” – a very short and to the point post that nails a point. But what if what you want to say is not just one point – but complex? How do you communicate this now?
I am becoming convinced that the answer is to use Infographics. Here is one about the risks of Sitting all day that went viral 2 weeks ago. In a few days thousands of geeks were talking about the risks of sitting all day. Imagine instead that I or someone had written a 5,000 word article instead? I suspect that the result would have been zero.
Why do they work?
Take a look at this Map of Africa and then come back.
I think that there 2 strong reasons for why they work.
- We are naturally Pattern Seekers – It is how we recognize faces – It is how we respond to events – It is how we process information. Patterns are how we learn and “see” things. If we don’t have a pattern, we have no context.
- We love surprise and this is the core of the aha. So if I tell you something – this is dull. But if you discover it – as you do discover all sorts of things in the Africa Map – the aha is your and it is this aha that stays with you.
With work and jobs so scarce some people have now redefined the CV in Infographic form.
Again hiring managers have had their senses dulled by reading thousands of resumes. Yours can be the most brilliant career and life – but the chances are they cannot “see” it.
A brilliant infographic of your work also shows that you can synthesize the issues and would made a good player in a complex world.
This is a field I am going to dig deep into – for most of my work work involves complex issues like health that need this kind of treatment. But hey isn’t your world complex too?
Read the rest of this entry »
