Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
LessMore
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
When should I pick Infographic blocks?
When the story is: dashboards, posters, one-pagers, exhibit boards.
When should I avoid Infographic blocks?
Skip it in cases like: the tiles hide that the numbers are not comparable.
Who invented or popularised it?
Isotype (Neurath, 1920s–30s) plus postwar magazine grids
What does it encode?
modular rectangles whose size and order rank importance
Is it OK in ads?
Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Will a teacher accept it?
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present.
Infographic blocks encodes values as modular rectangles whose size and order rank importance. Isotype (Neurath, 1920s–30s) plus postwar magazine grids.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits dashboards, posters, one-pagers, exhibit boards. Skip it when the tiles hide that the numbers are not comparable.
Parts
- Mark — The core mark of Infographic blocks is modular rectangles whose size and order rank importance.
- Scale — The scale must show zero (or a declared break) and units.
- Axis — Axis titles name the variable, not a mood.
- Legend — A legend is weaker than a direct label. Write beside the mark when you can.
- Label — Numbers are optional. If comparison is the job, label the ends only.
- Grid — Keep the grid faint. Data should own the ink.
- Annotation — One annotation sentence. Date the source.
- Frame — A thin frame. Never a 3-D box.
Variants
- Stat tiles — Variant 1 of Infographic blocks (Stat tiles). Same encoding, different layout.
- Magazine grid — Variant 2 of Infographic blocks (Magazine grid). Same encoding, different layout.
- KPI cards — Variant 3 of Infographic blocks (KPI cards). Same encoding, different layout.
- Infographic blocks 4 — Variant 4 of Infographic blocks (Infographic blocks 4). Same encoding, different layout.
Labels
- Axis — On Infographic blocks, make Mark readable.
- Legend — On Infographic blocks, make Scale readable.
- Label — On Infographic blocks, make Axis readable.
- Grid — On Infographic blocks, make Legend readable.
- Annotation — On Infographic blocks, make Label readable.
Infographic blocks: honour modular rectangles whose size and order rank importance, and switch when the tiles hide that the numbers are not comparable.