On Jan. 14. 2020, CBC reported on a false alert that was sent out to mobile phones across Ontario about an incident at a nuclear plant in Pickering, Ont.
I will tell this story with the help of three infographics. Infographics are effective because they do a good job at showing you the facts, rather than telling. In this case, that helps in breaking down the story into smaller chunks that is easier to understand. The objective of each infographic is to show a different aspect of the situation.
First Infographic
An hour after the false alert was sent, the plant’s operator Ontario Power Generation (OPG) took to twitter to explain that the warning was “sent in error.” The Ontario Government also later acknowledged the mistake, blaming it on human error and issued an apology.
This infographic shows the two statements following the false alert. I kept the design simple since the infographic is more factual and less visual. However, the way the information is divided and the use of the arrow makes the graphic engaging.
Second Infographic
Potassium iodide pills can be ingested to protect the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine, which could be released into the air in a nuclear emergency. OPG received many orders for the pills, following the false alert.
For this infographic, I used a lot more images. The images are effective as they help the viewer visualize the points being made. The text underneath also helps to explain the images.
Third Infographic
According to OPG, they usually receive between 100 – 200 orders of potassium iodide pills per month. However, following the false alert, 32 388 orders were placed between Sunday morning and Monday afternoon.
When I was making this infographic, the most important thing was to include the website. I included it at the bottom, making the font large enough so that it could be noticeable. I also added a picture of the website’s home screen to give the graphic a visual touch.
To conclude, I found that creating infographics is not as easy as it looks. It’s more difficult to be simple and straightforward than it is to be complicated and detailed. However, I soon found out that I should create a balance between the text and images.