Infographics as Art

Some artists insist that infographics are not a form of art.  When asked about this, the reasons most cited include the intention of the creator;  art is created for reasons other than marketing, while infographics are primarily works of graphic design intended to promote a viral distribution that increases awareness in that company’s brand somehow. Artists have themes, messages that mean something on a high social level, something with more than a fleeting purpose.  Graphics designers ten to be more concerned with getting a marketing message out there in an eye-catching way and hoping that it gains viral popularity based on clever subject matter and other trend-aware indications.

There is nothing wrong with infographics being called art, though.  It just depends on what kind of art you are talking about.  There are, as mentioned above, several artists who we might call “art snobs” who like to downgrade the infographic from something artistic and worthwhile from a visual perspective, to something mundane and market oriented.  But they should not overlook the people who are designing the infographics, many of whom do in fact regard themselves are artists.  They spend hours analyzing what colors might be the most effective and convey the right message.  They use precision and their own clever ability to discern the reactions of audiences they will likely never hear from, but they still invest a great part of themselves in their work.  They still realize that what they do is colorful, beautiful (in some cases) and also has a timeless quality.

Some of the world’s greatest artists have been graphic designers.  Look at Andy Warhol, for instance.  His career began with making labels for soup cans, and progressed into pop art that has become iconic in the design industry.  There are other artists as well who begin their careers in graphic arts.

So, don’t be so quick to write off infographics as mere marketing tools.  They, too, can be art.