At the crossroads of information and visuals

Let’s untangle three trends: data visualization, visual thinking, and infographics.

• Data Visualization. Scientists and data analysts use visualization tools to view information lots of ways. Today, regular folks are getting their hands on these tools, too. This is the “big data” meme.
• Visual thinking, sometimes called “mind mapping.”Visuals can also help in the thinking process, like a user experience team using a journey map.
• Infographics. Unlike these exploratory uses, we’re explaining ideas we’ve already developed. Infographics are part of the communication process, alongside writing and speaking.