Week 2 Blog 3 Artifact #2

Here are my two infographics.
The early one started as a mindmap that I created while watching this video. It was all over the place and way too huge for the little space I was allotted. I took what I had and it somehow morphed into this mess. I wanted to start clean and fresh, but it didn't quite work. I didn't know how to use the program AT ALL.

So I practiced, and it helped. This infographic was inspired by the hipster one I posted in Week 2 Blog 2. I'm still not super happy with it. I tried to use only what was available to me on Easel.ly. I also tried uploading images (Creative Commons images connected to story...a Story Road sign and such). Uploading the images worked, but I wasn't pleased with the way it looked AT ALL. I'm not sure I have an eye for design. I guess I know what looks good in the end, but getting it to look good is a different story. This is why stealing like an artist works for me I guess. I can bring the content and revise a template to get it to look the way I want it to (for the most part). I'll tweak this more as I continue. I feel like it needs more images. The color behind the font makes it pop a bit, but...
Anyway, StoryCorps is awesome and is not mine (by the way).

My Infographic

I added some images to the piece. I think because it was mindmapish (originally), it also had (and still has) lots of text. I like it though. It's a way of making a mindmap (I hate them...sorry) like a list (which makes more sense to me).

Week 2 Blog 2

I'll use easel.ly lots.
I think the first way I'll use it is to do what I did today. For students to get used to the app, I'll have them select a template and create a fun and made up story or infographic with that.
This is me modeling what I would like them to do.

Hipster How To

Things to note.
If you update/make changes and save them, then your link will go to the new updated piece.
I can't get it to embed (probably b/c I have it set to private).
Some of my best friends are hipsters. I love them. All teasing is in good fun. Seriously, all of the people images you are given as choice are silhouettes except for this dude. I thought it was too funny not to go there.

I'm trying to create my own, but using a template helped me learn some of the ins and outs of the website. I'll post my own when I feel like it's understandable. First I was going for a mindmap a la Creative Confidence. I like that it helped me "gain some clarity" (212), but it ended up being just too wonky for this program (and for my brain). Just how much information should I put on this? What is the intent? I don't want it to be something that I could just put on a handout, but it seems like that's what might happen.

I'm starting fresh. We'll see what happens. Actually, that might be my next blog post. I'll save (and share) my first disaster...then fix it. These things take a long time to make.