Infographic Web 2.0 Tools
People have always needed to present information to peers, co-workers, and employers. Early humans made cave paintings, maps, charts to share information with the people around them. Now with the internet and Web 2.0 tools, we use infographics. An infographic is a digital collection of graphs, maps, charts, and pictures that presents information quickly and clearly. Here are some tools that create infographics that I have reviewed in my Web 2.0 class.
1. Piktochart
Piktochart is a site that allows you to create “beautiful infographics.” I rated this tool twenty-three out of twenty-seven because it is user-friendly because all you do is drag and drop charts and pictures to create the infographic. The site is very reliable and features a full feature list, screen shots, and samples. I counted down on the site because it is not a completely free tool. From the free version, you can only choose from six basic templates. I also had trouble finding information about awards. I would still suggest this tool to a classmate, but I would caution them to look at the templates before they get started so they know what kind of information they should gather so they know that everything will fit in the formats available.
5. Dipity
Dipity is a free digital timeline website that enables users to create, share, and embed digital timelines and collaborate with other people. I rated this tool nineteen out of twenty-seven. The tool did everything that I needed it to do for my project, but the tool was slightly difficult to use and you need to pay money to be able to use several tools. I also needed to make an account before I could evaluate the site. The site was in good working order and was well maintained, but there were no awards posted on the site and there was limited contact information. This tool wouldn’t be the tool I would recommend to another student for this unit because there are lots of other sites that I thought would work better for this project. I would recommend it to someone who wants to make a timeline for a certain event, such as a timeline of World War II.
4. Infogr.am
Infogr.am is an online service that lets you create, share, and discover infographics and online charts. I rated this tool twenty-two out of twenty-seven. All of the instructional goals appeared to be fully met, and the site was very reliable and well maintained. I thought that the site could be navigated easily, but it didn’t explain how to use the program so you have to spend a little time teaching yourself how to use the tool. I could find no contact information so I took off several points for that. Another big problem was that I had to make an account before I could fully evaluate the site. I would recommend this tool to another student because the final product can be very well made and very informational. It just will take a little time to understand how to use the program.
2. Visual.ly
Visual.ly was created to allow users to use infographics and data visualations to tell their story, drive traffic and amplify you social media presence. I rated this tool twenty-four out of twenty-seven because the site is easy to use, fairly reliable, and well maintained. All necessary tools are available for free and there are many awards for the site. I counted points down because the companies contact information is not complete, and the site was a little slow. I would recommend this tool to a classmate because it does a good job creating infographics, but I would tell them that they will need to use their home internet connection because the site was very slow at school.
3. Easel.ly
Easel.ly is a tool that allows you to create and share visual ideas online by creating and sharing an infographic. I rated this tool twenty-three out of twenty-seven because the tool did exactly what I needed and wanted it to do for my project, the site is reliable and easy to use, and there are screen shots and samples available before registration. The only problems with the site are that there is no contact information available and no awards. I would recommend this tool to another student for this project because it would work well for this project, and the final project will look really cool.