Convergence of Communicative Components in Infographics

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to establish the presence or absence of the phenomenon of convergence between visual components formed based on different ways of encoding information in infographic messages. Particular attention is focused on those cases when the above-mentioned differently coded elements can provide a synergistic effect or supplement and enrich the content through the interaction of different meanings, each of which is presented in the most optimal way that does not imitate the other. Research methods are analytical, logical-evaluative, systematic approach and method of structural-compositional analysis. The scientific novelty consists in proving the presence of the effect of convergence of meanings in infographics formed based on different codes and different communicative elements. It was revealed that infographic messages can use up to seven different ways of visual presentation of information differing in stylistic and technical-graphic properties. At the same time, it has been proved that minimising the number of different style components leads to the formation of the most effective visual messages. Such messages are better remembered and remain in the minds of recipients longer. Conclusions. The use of communicative elements with different technical, graphic and stylistic properties outside infographic messages, in most cases, leads to the destruction of meaningful unity and loss of consumer interest in the content of the message. On the contrary, in infographics, the structural organisation of information, compositional zoning, and the logical links’ presence between different groups of visual-symbolic forms ensure the integrity of information impact. However, it has been proved that such integrity requires either the preservation of a single optical centre of content or well-defined levels of content with accentuated visual transitions between them.