The Infographic Self: A Visual Résumé

Infographics add a resource for today’s competitive marketplace, helping differentiate individuals in a visually effective way. It is important for students to gain an understanding of who they are, including both their strengths, as well as areas for personal improvement. In a society where the notion of branding is seemingly omnipresent, prospective job seekers should be mindful of their personal brands, seeking ways to better market themselves through engaging and impactful means. One way to aid in this is through the development of infographic résumés, where visual images such as diagrams are used to represent personal information or data.

The use of infographic résumés provides a means allowing students to stand out from the crowd and provides active learning opportunities for the classroom using project-based multimedia learning. Infographic résumés offer the chance to memorably demonstrate one’s experiences and accomplishments through an engaging medium that incorporates multimedia learning and media integration. Through detailing the characteristics of the “Brand Me” assignment, the process of creating infographics as a valuable self-promotional tool, and its integration into appropriate course curriculum (i.e., sport marketing) will be addressed. The students acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing, planning, and producing their own personal infographic. Connection points pertaining to technological implementation and digital life while be discussed, relationship to visual identity (VI), marketing through the use of technology, and focusing on identity and image will be addressed.

Keywords

Branding, Visual Identity, Infographic Résumés, Media Integration, Marketing