Infographics – Keep Your Message Easy to Digest

The pictures and graphs in this post were found on the resource which is neither management oriented nor IT-related. The main topics covered there are design, creativity and architecture. But, as we have already seen in a motivation movie, proper design and creative representation of information can often be at least as much important as the content of the message. That particular post I’ll refer to here was written by Steph and devoted to Infographics – the art of making news, scientific data and other information far easier to perceive and digest.

Most businesses and business relations today can be hardly described by linear models alone, like the classic production chain model. The world is full of interrelations and interactions. For some companies this means the network of local suppliers, clients and partners. For others the geography encompasses the whole world with different languages, different time-zones and different legal regulations. The most advanced and strategic-thinking businesses actively add the time aspect, the dynamics of interactions to additionally address risks and opportunities. (In a publication by McKinsey “Building the supply chain of the future” you can find examples of how the dynamics aspect is addressed by some companies).

All this makes networks of relations even more complex and difficult to describe.

Information is only powerful and useful when it can be easily perceived and understood. Of course, there exist proven scientific ways to describe networks and processes in them. This diagram I’ve seen lately in the ITIL Service Strategy book was an example of Value Net Diagram approach:

Far to often such methods make the message too complicated and overcrowded with details. Bringing to the addressee an elaborate detailed description they forget the main goal of any model – to ease the perception and make it a pleasant experience.

But let’s have a look at what I’ve found at the WebUrbanist site.

Lawsuits in Mobile Business

(image via: design language)

The number of participants and arrows is comparable to those on the image above. But add colors, arrange the elements properly and focus on one thing, and you will get absolutely different picture in terms of perception.

The Colors of the Web

(image via: colourlovers)

Another even more colorful picture shows exactly that – the colors represented in web logo’s.

iPad’s Competition

Only lazy has not heard or read about the iPad’s successes last year. According to Mashable (based on IDC reports) in just one quarter, the iPad helped drive up sales of media tablets by 45% and took nearly 90% of the market. The Apple COO has boldly stated that iPad has a “huge, first-mover advantage” and that Android-based devices are “bizarre product[s]” with no “real tablet experience”. But is that all of competition iPad faced in 2010 and will face in 2011?

(image via: section design)

Information Sharing in 2010

But let’s get back to information and its sharing. This graph compares Facebook to other information sharing services on different dimensions.

(image via: add this)

Use Social Media to Build the Company

This image is a great example of infographics. It is clear and concise, and makes the information easy to digest with bright colors and eye-catching visuals.

(image via: elliance)

Media Timeline

Just look at the diversity of information sources we use now. No doubt, in any of them information should be useful and easily perceived to stay-out from the competition.

(image via: design you trust)

How Would You Like Your Graphic Design?

And the last example. Funny and with some retro-touch, I believe it's applicable to any business, not only design.

(image via: colin harman)

You can find more examples of Infographics on the WebUrbanist page.

Stay inspired and keep it simple.

Global Forces and the Future of IT Consulting

Yesterday I read an article by McKinsey about the “Global forces shaping the future of business and society”. There was nothing special in the article, but one thing struck me, and not for the first time. Once again the current situation of IT as a branch or professional domain became evident. I could read the attitude of business-thinking people to technology, and the direction where IT goes.

The executives and partners interviewed in the paper talked about increasing agility and global connectedness, decreasing time to market, importance of readiness for ever changing frame and basis of market competition. And I could read between the lines the two trends speaking out loud and clear: commoditization of IT and integration of technology into business.

I saw it in my last research as well. From the interviews with 11 C-level managers, senior and principal consultants I could make several conclusions which come back again now. The interviewed experts mentioned that the new generation of executives is coming, much more familiar with contemporary technology and its possibilities. They want to talk about technology and what it means for business on the one hand. But on the other hand they are much more demanding and want their partners from IT to understand the business ways and to talk about the business value instead of technical details. The interviewees also explicitly mentioned the trends of IT commoditization, its integration in daily life and business and increased outsourcing trends.

So, what does it mean for IT consulting companies? It means that they would need more and more people capable of speaking the business language and understanding what is important for business managers, what is important for business development, while seeing the enablers brought by technological progress. I believe that it is quite a radical step for many IT consulting companies. Because, actually, this way of thinking pushes IT to the background and makes general business consulting or management consulting central. “IT doesn’t matter” – as Carr once already said. Not that many are ready to accept this paradigm.

You can see the proof of the trend in the current development of the strongest strategic consulting companies. McKinsey or BCG come to the “IT” areas and develop their departments dealing with IT. They recognize the opportunity and see that the niche of trusted advisor and strategic partner helping with conceptual technology questions is not filled adequately by existing IT consulting companies. Because those are more often perceived as just “commodity deliverers” or “service providers”.

Thus, the message for IT consulting is clear: stop thinking IT, start thinking business; and make business clients see and believe that this change has happened.

But what will happen with IT consulting companies deciding to stay in “commodity” area? I believe that their market will gradually shrink. If you look back at the McKinsey’s article and the global trends they foresee, you can say that the demand for developed-market productivity together with ever-expanding global networks will drive companies to further outsource the commodity activities, and often – not to the expensive western IT consulting players, but to the providers from emerging economies.

Hello World!

Welcome everybody!

On this blog I will publish my findings in the domain of CIO competencies.

The list of topic will include (but not limited to):

• IT Governance
• Business-IT Alignment
• IT and Business Strategy
• Project,Program or Portfolio management
• Leadership and other 'soft' competencies
• Risk management
• Change management
• Various 'Best practices'

If you have any comments, remarks, related materials or just like what I publish here, don't hesitate to drop me a message in the comments, to the twitter or by e-mail.

See you soon here ;)