Some of the best data visualizations can be made using free infographic tools. But those creating an infographic in history did not have any access to free infographic tools online. But wait! People were creating infographics in history?
They sure were. After all, an infographic is simply a visual representation of some form of data. Just because they were not using free infographic tools, does not mean that they were not making infographics. Read on for some cool infographic history to tell your friends.
1. Ancient
The first infographics date back to about 30,000 years ago. Ancient cave paintings, the first art, could be considered the first infographics as well. They were painted in order to depict the animals and resources of the surrounding areas. They were the visual representations of the woolly buffalo and saber-toothed radishes outside of the cave. The same case can be made for the hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt. Each word had a picture, that could then be strung together to form sentences. A perfect example of an infographic.
2. Recent
Jump to 1972 with Otl Aicher. He simplified communication for travelers and tourists going to see the Munich Olympics. He is the man credited with creating a set of pictograms that featured a stylized human doing various things. You can see that he is the inspiration for the little blue man on the crosswalk, the men working sign, and many other universal signs communicating in a language that we can all comprehend.
3. Present
The art of the infographic was perfected in our present day. It is not just about a picture or a symbol anymore, but an entire page worth of pictures and information. Before there were the free infographic creation tools online, there was software like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and even a newer presentation program like Prezi.
The desire to create and use infographics continues to grow. And as that need develops, so do the technologies and techniques necessary for creating the next best infographic. Take a glance at the past of infographics, and truly understand them, before you create the future of infographics.