Client Infographic: Most Polluted Cities 2012

Every year the American Lung Association releases a new State of the Air Report sharing their test results of air pollution across the U.S.  This year, InfoNewt is working with them to release a series of infographic designs based on the 2012 report starting with the Most Polluted Cities in the United States 2012.

Air pollution remains a serious threat to our health.

For 13 years, the American Lung Association has analyzed data from state air quality monitors to compile the State of the Air report. The more you learn about the air you breathe, the more you can protect your health and take steps to make our air cleaner and healthier. Here’s what we learned about air pollution from 2008–2010, the best, most recent data. 

InfoNewt, with designer Jeremy Yingling, helped the American Lung Association look through their data to pull out one clear story to use in the infographic design.  The three-part story starts with an introduction to the problem (what is air pollution and how is it measured), the main visual shows the testing results from the three different types of air pollution on the map of the U.S. and ends with a call-to-action with what readers can do with this information.

The full 179-page report is available online here, but a big report with tables of data doesn’t convey a clear, understandable message to the general public.  The use of an infographic to summarize one part of the report and put the data into context that even kids can understand is a very effective way for the American Lung Association to reach a much broader audience.

There is a lot more information contained in the report, but the key to success here was focusing on visualizing just one story (where is the worst air pollution?) very clearly.

Thanks to the team at the American Lung Association for being great to work with!