We are surrounded by data. Just look around— simply turn on your TV or read a print or digital newspaper and you’re sure to see data scrolling across the bottom of your television or computer screen. We have data about elections, voting trends, social media analysis, web analytics, weather patterns across the 50 states, etc., etc. Let’s face it… data is becoming easier to access; however, understanding and making sense of the data is no picnic in the park.
That is where an infographic or viz aid becomes the preferred choice for sharing information. With the right designer, you can tell your organization’s story in a beautiful yet compelling illustration.
Branching out from traditional marketing (an image with content and percentages), we opted to SHOW our audience how students are performing academically and pinpoint areas where improvement is needed. The infographic allows us to illustrate complex data in a user-friendly format that makes sense.
The infographic’s delivery (digital or via print) is an added bonus for us. While the beautiful illustration will look awesome in a semi-glossy paper, the ease of sharing the infographic on our site or via Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest is the icing on the cake!
– Cynthia D. Villafranco is a freelance content writer and works for a nonprofit in San Antonio, TX
Read more →So let’s face it… not everyone has access to Adobe Photoshop nor do our sometimes non-existent budgets allow for such an extravagant purchase. Fortunately for us, there are several online photo editing tools to help you with your photo-enhancing needs.
My go-to editing tool at this time is PicMonkey. If you used Picnik in the past, then you’ll LOVE PicMonkey.The FREE edition gives you all the tools a novice needs to transform images into beautiful works of art. You’ll find loads of filters, borders, fonts, overlays and textures. Upgrade your membership to a Royale user and get access to an uber abundance of additional editing tools.
I’m not as familiar with Pixlr, but it offers similar photo editing tools, a web cam and a collage-maker. The free online site also includes a blog with news and the pic of the day. Pixlr images can be shared on Instagram.
Edit your photos like a pro with Fotor. You can download the app to your android or Apple phone or simply work from your desktop. The free editor lets you edit photos, create collages and photocards, add frames, special effects, adjust exposures, brightness and more!
Befunkyis another free online photo editor and app you can use from your desktop or mobile device. Download it for free. Create collages or edit your photos with easy share/store to Flickr,Picasaand Photobucket.
Explore them all or pick a favorite. Simple and fun editing tools at your disposal. Enjoy!
– Cynthia D. Villafranco is a freelance content writer and works for a nonprofit in San Antonio, TX
Read more →