Therefore:
The infographic titled, “The Benefits of Shifting to Cycling” was published by the Institute of
Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and UC Davis. As an American university with
a largely liberal student body, the infographic seems to be geared towards a more liberal
audience, one that would be more likely to agree with the message of the infographic and
make changes to their lifestyle to become more eco-friendly by switching their main mode
of transport to cycling - which is the purpose of the text. This infographic very clearly
conveys its message of the importance of using eco-friendly transport through its use of
visual features. Through the use of color, engaging images, and an intuitive layout, this
infographic persuades readers of the benefits of cycling more often as well as how to help
cities in the United States and around the world make that change come to fruition.
The choice of color, specifically the usage of green, is one of the ways in which the
infographic sends a message of cycling being beneficial to the environment. The infographic
starts with the title, in white, against a green background. The green immediately provides
insight into what the benefits of cycling are, as green is a color that has heavy connotations
linking it to the environment. Additionally, the choice to have the title text in white portrays
ideas of goodness, the color being highly associated with purity; this links to the idea of
heaven and its “pearly white gates.” Through the simple choice of white text on a green
background, the ITDP has already informed – and persuaded - the readers that switching to
cycling is something positive, and beneficial for society. Additionally, green is a color not only
linked positively to nature, but it is also connected to the idea of money. By using the color
green for the text that says “Save cities USD 23 trillion.” the ITDP is helping readers imagine
the concept of money and saving it, by associating it with green. Furthermore,
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including “USD” when this targets a majority American audience also connects this to each
reader personally, making them feel more closely related to the money being spent on
transport that doesn’t benefit the environment. This helps to motivate readers to feel more
passionately about changing their lifestyle, and be more determined to save not only the
environment, but also save money for their country. Therefore, the association of the text
with the color green helps convey the message of helping the environment by switching to
cycling.
Color is not the only element that immediately informs and persuades readers – little
cartoon images are scattered throughout, clearly expressing the message of the infographic
(that switching to cycling benefits individuals and societies). Firstly, the image of a bicycle is
placed next to the title, immediately providing a visual cue for what the infographic is going
to be about. Throughout the rest of the text, there are five more images of bicycles placed
around, reinforcing the idea about bicycles and therefore the idea to use them. By having
them next to the text detailing the speed of a bike ride, the ability to save money, and in two
of the six actions for readers to take, it is continuously and consistently associating bicycles
with positivity and beneficial change, subconsciously encouraging readers to involve
themselves with bicycles and the act of cycling. In addition, the USA is a very diverse
country, with many immigrants who may not speak English fluently. The incorporation of
small cartoon images helps translate the message across languages – such as the car with a
red cross through it, next to the text about minimizing the usage of cars by removing
incentives. The reader, no matter their age, background, or even if they are simply skim
reading the infographic will understand what that particular image mean: that cars are
negative for the environment and to not use them (whenever possible). As well as the
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cartoons, the inclusion of diagrams such as bar charts, helps provide the feeling of trust for
readers. The bar charts next to the infographic’s statistical claims, such as the reduction of
“300 megatonnes of global CO2 emissions,” creates the feeling that this is something which
is backed by research, as any kind of diagram is associated, at least to some extent, with
research and evidence. By simply including a bar chart with the statistics, the ITDP bestows
the feeling of trustworthiness upon readers. Thus, they are more likely to feel encouraged to
take up cycling, as they have been presented information they feel is factual and reliable.
Therefore, the diagrams and cartoons that have been used along with the text enhance the
delivery of the message to switch to cycling and increase the likelihood of people changing
their lifestyles to be more eco-friendly.
Another feature that allows for the text and visuals to work together seamlessly to convey
the importance of switching to cycling is the layout. The way the infographic is arranged
provides a logical flow, allowing readers to intuitively follow the information presented. The
infographic is clearly laid out in three sections: what the issue is, the benefits of mitigating
the issue by switching to cycling, and how to carry out helpful lifestyle adjustments. This
straightforward flow of the text clearly outlines what the reader should do, allowing them to
have a clear understanding of it after finishing the infographic. The infographic also makes
use of having some text be larger and bolder than others, thus drawing attention to key
details and points, ensuring that at the very least, the reader will remember those details,
such as the six headers of the list of ways to make a change (build, implement, invest, plan,
remove and adopt). This allows for the most important points to be retained by the reader,
therefore making sure the essential parts of their message is conveyed. Visually, the reader
is also intuitively informed of the layout, as each new section
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is signaled by a color change. While the point about saving money has a grey background,
the list of lifestyle changes is white. This allows readers to separate each part of the
infographic, making it easily digestible for them, thus making the message of changing to an
eco-friendly lifestyle easier to remember. Finally, the infographic ends with the same color
block it started with – green – providing a feeling of finality and notifying the readers that
they have finished reading the infographic. This creates a feeling of finality and notifying the
readers that they have finished reading the infographic. Though very subtle, this creates a
feeling of a logical conclusion, and therefore, the intuitive flow of the layout helps leave
readers with the message, allowing them to clearly remember the ideas of how cycling can
benefit the world.
The infographic, though seemingly simple, is designed in a manner to simplify and clearly
convey the benefits of cycling to the readers. Through colors that subconsciously connote
ideas about nature, purity, and money; images that support the text’s trustworthiness; and a
clear, logical layout, the infographic leaves readers with the knowledge of how cycling can
improve lifestyles and the planet, and how they can personally act to aid bringing these
benefits to life. The design of this infographic allows for interplay of the text and visuals in a
way that successfully encourages its audience to consider making changes in their lifestyle to
improve society – both in the USA and globally, as a whole.
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