Article published In: Information Design Journal
Vol. 28:2 (2023) ► pp.141–177
Improving the design of public health infographics using a motion graphic educational resource to enhance design principle application
Published online: 31 August 2023
https://doi.org/10.1075/idj.23006.bax
https://doi.org/10.1075/idj.23006.bax
Abstract
Infographics are commonly used in public health to disseminate key messages to wide audiences. Although health organisations are making increasing use of infographics, their designs are of variable quality. The research reported here aimed to develop an educational tool that could improve public health infographic design, using motion graphics to teach users with limited design experience how to apply research-based design principles. Results were positive, with significant improvements in performance (including information location time, memorability, and user perception) observed for the infographics designed after the resource was used, compared to the infographics created before.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 1.1Background
- 1.2Existing research
- 1.3Research objectives
- 1.4Hypothesis
- 1.5Research timeline
- 2.Content and design development
- 2.1Design development – Stakeholder interview
- 2.2Design development – infographic principles’ content
- 2.3Design development – motion graphic principles
- 2.4Design development – motion graphics content development
- 2.5Design development – usability testing 1
- 2.6Design development – usability testing 2
- 2.7Design development – final design output
- 3.Research materials and methodology
- 3.1Research material generation process
- 3.2Infographic design outcomes
- 3.2.1Initial design principle analysis
- 3.2.2Infographic testing material selection
- 3.3Healthcare professionals’ opinions
- 3.4Experimental methodology – justification
- 3.5Experimental methodology – participants
- 3.6Experimental methodology – procedure
- 4.Results
- 4.1Performance results
- 4.1.1Performance results – Information location
- 4.1.2Performance results – recall accuracy
- 4.1.3Performance results – recall time
- 4.1.4Performance results – one-way ANOVA tests
- 4.1.5Performance results – principle application analysis
- 4.2Opinion results
- 4.2.1Opinion results – microsoft desirability toolkit
- G1 opinion results
- 4.2.2G1 – positives features of the designs
- 4.2.3G1 – negative features of the designs
- G2 opinion results
- 4.2.4G2 – positives features of the designs
- 4.2.5G2 – negative features of the designs
- Likert scale
- 4.2.6Results – likert scale
- 4.1Performance results
- 5.Discussion
- 5.1Discussion – performance results
- 5.2Discussion – opinion results
- 5.3Discussion – links to existing research
- 5.4Discussion – research limitations
- 5.5Discussion – conclusion
References
References (116)
Agley, J., Xiao, Y., Thompson, E. E., Chen, X., & Golzarri-Arroyo, L. (2021). Intervening on trust in science to reduce belief in COVID-19 misinformation and increase COVID-19 preventive behavioral intentions: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23x)(10), e32425.
Ali, N., & Peebles, D. (2013). The effect of gestalt laws of perceptual organization on the comprehension of three-variable bar and line graphs. Human factors, 55(1), 183–203.
Barlow, B., Webb, A., & Barlow, A. (2021). Maximizing the visual translation of medical information: A narrative review of the role of infographics in clinical pharmacy practice, education, and research. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 4x)(2), 257–266.
Bateman, S., Mandryk, R. L., Gutwin, C., Genest, A., McDine, D., & Brooks, C. (2010). Useful junk? The effects of visual embellishment on comprehension and memorability of charts. Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems.
Baxter, M., Lonsdale, M., & Westland, S. (2021). Utilising design principles to improve the perception and effectiveness of public health infographics. Information Design Journal, 26x)(2), 124–156.
Bernard, M. L., Chaparro, B. S., Mills, M. M., & Halcomb, C. G. (2003). Comparing the effects of text size and format on the readibility of computer-displayed Times New Roman and Arial text. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 59(6), 823–835.
Bettman, J. R., Payne, J. W., & Staelin, R. (1986). Cognitive considerations in designing effective labels for presenting risk information. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 5(1), 1–28.
Beymer, D., Russell, D., & Orton, P. (2008). An eye tracking study of how font size and type influence online reading. People and computers XXII: culture, creativity, interaction: proceedings of HCI 2008. the 22nd British HCI Group annual conference,
BHF. (2021). Heart attack. Retrieved 1 October 2021 from [URL]
Brame, C. J. (2016). Effective educational videos: Principles and guidelines for maximizing student learning from video content. CBE – Life Sciences Education, 15x)(4).
Buchner, A., & Baumgartner, N. (2007). Text–background polarity affects performance irrespective of ambient illumination and colour contrast. Ergonomics, 50(7), 1036–1063.
Chan, A. K., Nickson, C. P., Rudolph, J. W., Lee, A., & Joynt, G. M. (2020). Social media for rapid knowledge dissemination: early experience from the COVID-19 pandemic. Anaesthesia, 75x)(12), 1579–1582.
Cinelli, M., Quattrociocchi, W., Galeazzi, A., Valensise, C. M., Brugnoli, E., Schmidt, A. L., Zola, P., Zollo, F., & Scala, A. (2020). The COVID-19 social media infodemic. Scientific reports, 10x)(1), 1–10.
Crutcher, M., & Seidler, P. M. (2021). Maximizing Completion of the Two-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine Series with Aid from Infographics. Vaccines, 9(11), 1229.
Domgaard, S., & Park, M. (2021). Combating misinformation: The effects of infographics in verifying false vaccine news. Health Education Journal, 80x)(8), 974–986.
Dowse, R., & Ehlers, M. (2005). Medicine labels incorporating pictograms: do they influence understanding and adherence? Patient education and counseling, 58(1), 63–70.
Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2016). Getting graphic about infographics: design lessons learned from popular infographics. Journal of Visual Literacy, 35(1), 42–59.
Dwyer, F. M., & Moore, D. M. (1991). Effect of color coding on visually oriented tests with students of different cognitive styles. The journal of psychology, 125(6), 677–680.
Greenhalgh, T., Sivan, M., Delaney, B., Evans, R., & Milne, R. (2022). Long covid – an update for primary care. BMJ, 378x)1, e072117.
Dzulkifli, M. A., & Mustafar, M. F. (2013). The influence of colour on memory performance: A review. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS, 20(2), 3.
Egan, M., Acharya, A., Sounderajah, V., Xu, Y., Mottershaw, A., Phillips, R., Ashrafian, H., & Darzi, A. (2021). Evaluating the effect of infographics on public recall, sentiment and willingness to use face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomised internet-based questionnaire study. BMC public health, 21(1), 1–10.
Farley, F. H., & Grant, A. P. (1976). Arousal and cognition: Memory for color versus black and white multimedia presentation. The Journal of Psychology, 94(1), 147–150.
Galitz, W. O. (2007). The essential guide to user interface design: an introduction to GUI design principles and techniques. John Wiley & Sons.
Gelman, A., & Unwin, A. (2013). Infovis and statistical graphics: different goals, different looks. Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 22(1), 2–28.
Gillan, D. J., & Richman, E. H. (1994). Minimalism and the syntax of graphs. Human Factors, 36(4), 619–644.
Gkogka, E. (2018). Gestalt principles in UI design. Retrieved 12 December from [URL]
Graham, L. (2008). Gestalt theory in interactive media design. Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2(1).
Hall, R. H., & Hanna, P. (2004). The impact of web page text-background colour combinations on readability, retention, aesthetics and behavioural intention. Behaviour & Information Technology, 23(3), 183–195.
Hamaguchi, R., Nematollahi, S., & Minter, D. J. (2020). Picture of a pandemic: visual aids in the COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Public Health, 42x)(3), 483–485.
Hapsari, A. S., & Hanif, M. (2019). Motion graphic animation videos to improve the learning outcomes of elementary school students. European Journal of Educational Research, 8(4), 1245–1255.
Harrison, L., Reinecke, K., & Chang, R. (2015). Infographic aesthetics: Designing for the first impression. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Hawley, S. T., Zikmund-Fisher, B., Ubel, P., Jancovic, A., Lucas, T., & Fagerlin, A. (2008). The impact of the format of graphical presentation on health-related knowledge and treatment choices. Patient education and counseling, 73(3), 448–455.
Hernandez-Sanchez, S., Moreno-Perez, V., Garcia-Campos, J., Marco-Lledó, J., Navarrete-Munoz, E. M., & Lozano-Quijada, C. (2021). Twelve tips to make successful medical infographics. Medical Teacher, 43x)(12), 1353–1359.
Höffler, T. N., & Leutner, D. (2007). Instructional animation versus static pictures: A meta-analysis. Learning and instruction, 17x)(6), 722–738.
Hick, W. E. (1952). On the rate of gain of information. Quarterly Journal of experimental psychology, 4(1), 11–26.
Hildon, Z., Allwood, D., & Black, N. (2012). Impact of format and content of visual display of data on comprehension, choice and preference: a systematic review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 24(1), 55–64.
Houts, P. S., Doak, C. C., Doak, L. G., & Loscalzo, M. J. (2006). The role of pictures in improving health communication: a review of research on attention, comprehension, recall, and adherence. Patient education and counseling, 61x)(2), 173–190.
Hsueh, C.-H., Chou, J.-K., & Ma, K.-L. (2016). A Study of using motion for comparative visualization. 2016 IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium (PacificVis).
Huang, S., Martin, L. J., Yeh, C. H., Chin, A., Murray, H., Sanderson, W. B., Mohindra, R., Chan, T. M., & Thoma, B. (2018). The effect of an infographic promotion on research dissemination and readership: a randomized controlled trial. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20(6), 826–833.
Hyönä, J., & Lorch, R. F. (2004). Effects of topic headings on text processing: Evidence from adult readers’ eye fixation patterns. Learning and instruction, 14(2), 131–152.
Jamet, E. (2014). An eye-tracking study of cueing effects in multimedia learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 321, 47–53.
Jin, S. -H. (2013). Visual design guidelines for improving learning from dynamic and interactive digital text. Computers & Education, 631, 248–258.
Keller, T., Gerjets, P., Scheiter, K., & Garsoffky, B. (2006). Information visualizations for knowledge acquisition: The impact of dimensionality and color coding. Computers in Human Behavior, 22(1), 43–65.
Kim, D. -Y. (2010). The interactive effects of colors on visual attention and working memory: In case of images of tourist attractions International CHRIE Conference-Refereed Track. 1,
Kemp, D., King, A. J., Upshaw, S. J., Mackert, M., & Jensen, J. D. (2021). Applying harm reduction to COVID-19 prevention: The influence of moderation messages and risk infographics. Patient education and counseling, 105x)(2), 269–276.
Kim, H. K., Ahn, J., Atkinson, L., & Kahlor, L. A. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 misinformation on information seeking, avoidance, and processing: A multicountry comparative study. Science Communication, 42x)(5), 586–615.
Kools, M., Ruiter, R. A., Van De Wiel, M. W., & Kok, G. (2008). The effects of headings in information mapping on search speed and evaluation of a brief health education text. Journal of Information Science, 34(6), 833–844.
Kouzy, R., Abi Jaoude, J., Kraitem, A., El Alam, M. B., Karam, B., Adib, E., Zarka, J., Traboulsi, C., Akl, E. W., & Baddour, K. (2020). Coronavirus goes viral: quantifying the COVID-19 misinformation epidemic on Twitter. Cureus, 12x)(3).
Kripalani, S., Robertson, R., Love-Ghaffari, M. H., Henderson, L. E., Praska, J., Strawder, A., Katz, M. G., & Jacobson, T. A. (2007). Development of an illustrated medication schedule as a low-literacy patient education tool. Patient education and counseling, 66(3), 368–377.
Kunze, K. N., Vadhera, A., Purbey, R., Singh, H., Kazarian, G. S., & Chahla, J. (2021). Infographics Are More Effective at Increasing Social Media Attention in Comparison With Original Research Articles: An Altmetrics-Based Analysis. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, 37(8), 2591–2597.
Lau, N., O’Daffer, A., Joyce, P., & Rosenberg, A. R. (2021). Popular evidence-based commercial mental health apps: analysis of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information quality. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 9(7), e29689.
Ling, J., & Van Schaik, P. (2002). The effect of text and background colour on visual search of Web pages. Displays, 23(5), 223–230.
(2006). The influence of font type and line length on visual search and information retrieval in web pages. International journal of human-computer studies, 64(5), 395–404.
Lonsdale, M. (2014). Typographic features of text. Outcomes from research and practice. Visible Language, 48(3), 29–67.
Lonsdale, M., & Liao, H. (2018). Improving obesity prevention among university students through a tailored information design approach. Information Design Journal, 24x)(1), 3–25.
Lonsdale, M., & Lonsdale, D. (2019). Design2Inform: Information visualisation [URL]
Lonsdale, M., Lonsdale, D., Baxter, M., Graham, R., Kanafani, A., Li, A., & Peng, C. (2019). Visualizing the terror threat. The impact of communicating security information to the general public using infographics and motion graphics. Visible Language, 53x)(2), 37–71.
Lonsdale, M., Ni, L.-C., Twiddy, M., & Gu, C. (2020). Information design for bowel cancer detection. The impact of using information visualization to help patients prepare for colonoscopy screening, using a booklet, a motion graphics and an App. Information Design Journal, 25x)(2), 125–156.
Loomba, S., de Figueiredo, A., Piatek, S. J., de Graaf, K., & Larson, H. J. (2021). Measuring the impact of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA. Nature human behaviour, 5x)(3), 337–348.
Lunn, P. D., Timmons, S., Julienne, H., Belton, C. A., Barjaková, M., Lavin, C., & McGowan, F. P. (2021). Using decision aids to support self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology & Health, 36x)(2), 195–213.
Macaya, M., & Perea, M. (2014). Does bold emphasis facilitate the process of visual-word recognition? The Spanish journal of psychology, 17(3).
Mackiewicz, J. (2009). The Newest Tool for Technical Communicators – Redux. Technical Communication, 56(1), 3–13.
Majooni, A., Masood, M., & Akhavan, A. (2018). An eye-tracking study on the effect of infographic structures on viewer’s comprehension and cognitive load. Information Visualization, 17(3), 257–266.
Mansoor, L. E., & Dowse, R. (2003). Effect of pictograms on readability of patient information materials. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 37(7–8), 1003–1009.
Martin, L. J., Turnquist, A., Groot, B., Huang, S. Y., Kok, E., Thoma, B., & van Merriënboer, J. J. (2019). Exploring the role of infographics for summarizing medical literature. Health Professions Education, 5x)(1), 48–57.
Mautone, P. D., & Mayer, R. E. (2001). Signaling as a cognitive guide in multimedia learning. Journal of educational Psychology, 93(2), 377.
Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational psychologist, 38x)(1), 43–52.
MayoClinic. (2021). Heart Attack. Retrieved 1 October 2021 from [URL]
McCready. (2016). 6 Ways to Use Infographic Icons Like a Pro. Retrieved 17 April from [URL]
Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological review, 63(2), 81.
Mollerup, P. (2015). Data design: visualising quantities, locations, connections. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Moore, R. S., Stammerjohan, C. A., & Coulter, R. A. (2005). Banner advertiser-web site context congruity and color effects on attention and attitudes. Journal of advertising, 34(2), 71–84.
Murray, I., Murray, A., Wordie, S., Oliver, C., Murray, A., & Simpson, A. (2017). Maximising the impact of your work using infographics. The British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery London, 6(11), 619–620.
NHS. (2020). COVID-19 research briefing infographic. Retrieved 12 April from [URL]
. (2021). Heart Attack. Retrieved 1 October 2021 from [URL]
Obie, H. O., Chua, C., Avazpour, I., Abdelrazek, M., Grundy, J., & Bednarz, T. (2019). A study of the effects of narration on comprehension and memorability of visualisations. Journal of Computer Languages, 52x)1, 113–124.
Ozcelik, E., Arslan-Ari, I., & Cagiltay, K. (2010). Why does signaling enhance multimedia learning? Evidence from eye movements. Computers in human behavior, 26(1), 110–117.
Ozcelik, E., Karakus, T., Kursun, E., & Cagiltay, K. (2009). An eye-tracking study of how color coding affects multimedia learning. Computers & Education, 53(2), 445–453.
Padilla, L. M., Creem-Regehr, S. H., Hegarty, M., & Stefanucci, J. K. (2018). Decision making with visualizations: a cognitive framework across disciplines. Cognitive research: principles and implications, 3(1), 29.
Park, J., & Zuniga, J. (2016). Effectiveness of using picture-based health education for people with low health literacy: An integrative review. Cogent Medicine, 3(1), 1264679.
Patterson, R. E., Blaha, L. M., Grinstein, G. G., Liggett, K. K., Kaveney, D. E., Sheldon, K. C., Havig, P. R., & Moore, J. A. (2014). A human cognition framework for information visualization. Computers & Graphics, 421, 42–58.
Pelli, D. G., Burns, C. W., Farell, B., & Moore-Page, D. C. (2006). Feature detection and letter identification. Vision research, 46(28), 4646–4674.
Poulton, E. (1972). Size, style, and vertical spacing in the legibility of small typefaces. Journal of Applied Psychology, 56(2), 156.
Pušnik, N., Možina, K., & Podlesek, A. (2016). Effect of typeface, letter case and position on recognition of short words presented on-screen. Behaviour & Information Technology, 35(6), 442–451.
Richter, J., Scheiter, K., & Eitel, A. (2016). Signaling text-picture relations in multimedia learning: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 171, 19–36.
Rotolo, S. M., Jain, S., Dhaon, S., Dokhanchi, J. K., Kalata, E., Shah, T., Mordell, L. J., Clayman, M. L., Kenefake, A., & Zimmermann, L. J. (2021). A coordinated strategy to develop and distribute infographics addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 62(1), 224–231.
Schindler, P. S. (1986). Color and contrast in magazine advertising. Psychology & Marketing, 3(2), 69–78.
Scott, H., Fawkner, S., Oliver, C., & Murray, A. (2016). Why healthcare professionals should know a little about infographics. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50x)(18), 1104–1105.
Scott, H., Fawkner, S., Oliver, C. W., & Murray, A. (2017). How to make an engaging infographic? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 511, 1183–1184.
Seo, K. -K., Lee, S., Chung, B. D., & Park, C. (2015). Users’ emotional valence, arousal, and engagement based on perceived usability and aesthetics for web sites. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 31(1), 72–87.
Skau, D., Harrison, L., & Kosara, R. (2015). An evaluation of the impact of visual embellishments in bar charts. Computer Graphics Forum, 34(3), 221–230.
Snyder-Ramos, S. A., Seintsch, H., Böttiger, B. W., Motsch, J., Martin, E., & Bauer, M. (2005). Patient satisfaction and information gain after the preanesthetic visit: a comparison of face-to-face interview, brochure, and video. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 100x)(6), 1753–1758.
Spence, I. (2005). No humble pie: The origins and usage of a statistical chart. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 30(4), 353–368.
Spence, I., Wong, P., Rusan, M., & Rastegar, N. (2006). How color enhances visual memory for natural scenes. Psychological Science, 17(1), 1–6.
StatisticsCanada. (2019). Firearm-related violent crime in Canada Retrieved 25 November 2018 from [URL]
Stonbraker, S., Flynn, G., George, M., Cunto-Amesty, S., Alcántara, C., Abraído-Lanza, A. F., Halpern, M., Rowell-Cunsolo, T., Bakken, S., & Schnall, R. (2022). Feasibility and acceptability of using information visualizations to improve HIV-related communication in a limited-resource setting: A short report. AIDS care, 34x)(4), 535–541.
Stonbraker, S., Halpern, M., Bakken, S., & Schnall, R. (2019). Developing Infographics to Facilitate HIV-Related Patient–Provider Communication in a Limited-Resource Setting. Applied clinical informatics, 10x)(04), 597–609.
Stones, C., & Gent, M. (2015a). The 7 Graphic Principles of Public Health Infographic Design [URL]
(2015b). “If The Guardian can do it, we should be able to do it!” Examining Public Health Infographic Strategies used by Public Health Professionals. Design4Health 2015 Proceedings.
(2015). The 7 Graphic Principles of Public Health Infographic Design [URL]
Tetlan, L., & Marschalek, D. (2016). How Humans Process Visual Information: A focused primer for designing information. Visible Language, 50(3), 65–88.
Tijus, C., Barcenilla, J., De Lavalette, B. C., & Meunier, J. -G. (2007). The design, understanding and usage of pictograms. In Written documents in the workplace (pp. 17–31). Brill.
Tractinsky, N., Katz, A. S., & Ikar, D. (2000). What is beautiful is usable. Interacting with computers, 13(2), 127–145.
Vraga, E. K., & Bode, L. (2021). Addressing COVID-19 misinformation on social media preemptively and responsively. Emerging infectious diseases, 27x)(2), 396.
Wang, Z., Wang, S., Farinella, M., Murray-Rust, D., Henry Riche, N., & Bach, B. (2019). Comparing effectiveness and engagement of data comics and infographics. Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
WHO. (2023). Avoid the Three C’s infographic. Retrieved 12 April from [URL]
Wiana, W., Barliana, M. S., & Riyanto, A. A. (2018). The Effectiveness of Using Interactive Multimedia Based on Motion Graphic in Concept Mastering Enhancement and Fashion Designing Skill in Digital Format. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 13(2), 4.
Wichmann, F. A., Sharpe, L. T., & Gegenfurtner, K. R. (2002). The contributions of color to recognition memory for natural scenes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 28(3), 509.
Williams, T. R., & Spyridakis, J. H. (1992). Visual discriminability of headings in text. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 35(2), 64–70.
