The Gold standard: September 2019
In this monthly post, Leff Senior Advisor Allan
Gold highlights some of the best thought-leadership articles and reports that cross his desk, noting why they rise to the top of the pile and
are worth reading.
In this first installment of The Gold Standard: Design takeover, I focus on static infographics. Among the criteria I used to make the selections were how design is employed to bring the content to life, how the infographic is chunked up visually based on the content, and readability—how clean and inviting the designs are.
There's too much
plastic waste—and too few solutions”
BCG
The great divide:
The growing wage
gap between top and bottom pay”
Korn Ferry
“
The crisis of purpose”
PwC
Save-to-transform as a catalyst for embracing digital disruption”
Deloitte
“
China’s chemicals market goes local”
Bain
Featured articles
There's too much plastic waste—and too few solutions”
BCG
“
The great divide:
The growing wage
gap between top and bottom pay”
Korn Ferry
“
The crisis of purpose”
PwC
“
Save-to-transform as a catalyst for embracing digital disruption”
Deloitte
China's chemicals market goes local”
Bain
BCG’s infographics always have a clean design and simple typography. I especially like this one because it's very data-driven. The designers fit a lot of information in here without making it feel visually overwhelming. They chunked up the story well with some breathing room in between elements, and the lines around the infographic guide you when reading it. The recommendations section at the end is distinguished from the rest of the infographic in a nice, subtle way.
Check out the infographic
There’s too much plastic waste—and too few solutions”
BCG
This infographic tells a visual, high-level story about the pay divide in Asia–Pacific that the reader is able to ingest in about five minutes. It has a nice contrast between bold, attention-grabbing numbers and shapes and more detailed information, such as comparisons across the globe, for those who choose to explore further. The big splashes of color are inviting and draw the reader in, and the design is clean and simple. I am usually not a fan of using country flags, as too often they don’t further the design or are in the place of country names, which can cause confusion. But I quite like how they are treated here: they contribute to the circle theme of the infographic, and because the designers have included the name of the country, the reader doesn’t have to pause to try to recall (or, worse, look up) what country the flag is associated with.
Check out the infographic
The great divide: The growing wage gap between top and bottom pay”
Korn Ferry
This is a great, short infographic that appeals to a general audience. I mean, who doesn't want to feel “purpose” at their job? It pretty much has two sections: the survey results at the top and then what companies can do to address these findings. The photos give this infographic a more human feel, while the survey charts and data callouts are simple and easy to read.
Check out the infographic
The crisis of purpose”
PwC
“
Scroll to find (and download) this eye-catching infographic based on a global survey of cost-management practices and digital disruption. Survey charts can get boring—with one bar or pie chart after the next. But this infographic's mix of icons, simple illustrations, charts, and clean typography works well and keeps the piece visually engaging. The bold and bright colors of Deloitte's branding pop out and are inviting; their pairing with the dark gray and black backgrounds makes the whole thing feel quite sophisticated.
Check out the infographic
Save-to-transform as a catalyst for embracing digital disruption”
Deloitte
“
This is a great infographic on the state of chemicals companies in China with some advice for international firms—all in one quick, visual bite. This infographic, like many of Bain's, includes playful and bold illustrations alongside clean and simple typography. This pairing works well and gives the infographic a nice rhythm and reading pace.
Check out the infographic
China’s chemicals market goes local”
Bain
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