Visual Harmony: Text-Visual Interplay in Circular Infographics

TL;DR

The paper investigates how text placement (embedded vs side) and descriptiveness (simplistic, normal, descriptive) in circular infographics influence pleasantness, comprehension, and memorability. Using a 2×3 factorial design across 15 stimuli and 30 participants, it measures outcomes through baseline, immediate comprehension, and 3- and 7-day recall sessions. Key findings show that embedding text within visuals reduces memory loss over time, while simpler text increases pleasantness; comprehension remains largely unaffected by text conditions. The results offer actionable guidance for infographic designers to optimize memorability and user experience, while noting limitations and suggesting avenues for automated generation and broader generalization.

Abstract

Infographics are visual representations designed for efficient and effective communication of data and knowledge. One crucial aspect of infographic design is the interplay between text and visual elements, particularly in circular visualizations where the textual descriptions can either be embedded within the graphics or placed adjacent to the visual representation. While several studies have examined text layout design in visualizations in general, the text-visual interplay in infographics and its subsequent perceptual effects remain underexplored. To address this, our study investigates how varying text placement and descriptiveness impact pleasantness, comprehension and overall memorability in the infographics viewing experience. We recruited 30 participants and presented them with a collection of 15 infographics across a diverse set of topics, including media and public events, health and nutrition, science and research, and sustainability. The text placement (embed, side-to-side) and descriptiveness (simplistic, normal, descriptive) were systematically manipulated, resulting in a total of six experimental conditions. Our key findings indicate that text placement can significantly influence the memorability of infographics, whereas descriptiveness can significantly impact the pleasantness of the viewing experience. Embedding text placement and simplistic text can potentially contribute to more effective infographic designs. These results offer valuable insights for infographic designers, contributing to the creation of more effective and memorable visual representations.

Figures (9)

• Figure 1: Overview of the study: (A) a selection of diverse infographic stimuli used as a starting point for our study; (B) Modifications to each infographic, altering text placement and descriptiveness to form six distinct experimental conditions; (C) The consequential assessments of these variations, measured through perceptual metrics such as pleasantness, comprehension, and memorability.
• Figure 2: An example infographic stimuli edited to six versions with varied text placement and descriptiveness levels. This particular infographic captures information about the life cycle of trees farmcredit2022treelifecycle. Six distinct versions of the same infographic have been created. Each version systematically varies in terms of where the text is placed (embedded text vs side text) and the level of descriptiveness provided (ranging from minimalistic to descriptive).
• Figure 3: Illustration of the experimental workflow.
• Figure 4: Pre-study baseline assessment Interface.
• Figure 5: Comprehension assessment interface showcasing four sequential frames: (1) infographic viewing and summarizing, (2) answering a multiple choice question, (3) reporting the confidence score, (4) reporting the pleasantness score.