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4.2 Design Theories That Can Be Applied toMotion Infographic
Analyzing the existing works through case study research helped the researcher understand the
importance of design and its theories. Because motion infographics can look impressive even
without being well-designed, there are no real critiques of the design for the existing works. The
researcher viewed that motion infographics that were designed by non-designers (Annie
Leonard’s Story of Stuff and Jonathan Jarvis’s Crisis of Credit) failed to be attractive and
communicate less successfully than the motion infographics done by trained designers (Axel
Rudolph’s Knowledge and Patrick Clair’s Stuxnet). Crisis of Credit failed to avoid the trap of
chartjunk, the unnecessary elements in a graph that can confuse the audience (Tufte 1983).
When doing animation, it is typical for animator to insert in as many moving elements as
possible, but following the chartjunk theories, this will disrupt message delivery.
Figure 4.9: Chartjunk in
Crisis of Credit Visualized (2009)
Even in motion, the small multiples theory is useful to show clear changes between two
conditions (Tufte 1990). When the design is put into motion, if the elements being compared
are on two different frames, it is still harder to see the changes in condition than if the two
elements are placed next to each other on the same frame. The researcher himself applied
several design theories to the work when doing practice-led research, including visual metaphor,
a representation of an idea by using some visual form that represents particular association or
point of similarity (syringe representing addiction and money rain representing wasteful
spending). He also utilized color theories, using less saturated warm tone to differentiate dirty
energy from cleaner alternative, which he usedmuch cooler tone to represent. The researcher
concluded that designers who have knowledge of design theories and know how to use them
correctly could producemotion infographics that are stronger andmore attractive, although it is
not the objective of this research to measure the attractiveness of the motion infographic
works.
