Numbers to Unite: A Micro Content Series

On November 8th, the United States participated in a historic election between a political outsider and the country’s first female presidential nominee of a major party. As the numbers poured in on election night, one thing felt starkly clear: the nation was divided. As America witnessed acts of kindness and anger in the following weeks, these feelings of division did not fade. Sources of blame proved numerous as political pundits, socioeconomic experts, and the media pointed to issues like fake news, social media echo chambers, and our headline-driven culture as just some of the forces pulling us apart.

But what if these same forces could unite us instead of dividing us? This was the question we asked ourselves after coming into the office on November 9th.

As a visual communications agency, we embrace our headline-driven culture. We don’t see it as a problem to be solved, but instead simply a result of our information-rich society. As information floods in from every angle, it only makes sense that we scan headlines for quick updates while juggling our day-to-day responsibilities. Because visual language is universal, visual content can break through the echo chambers when produced with quality in mind. And when visual content is based on proper research, citing only the most reputable primary sources, it can assuage fears of false information.

Visual communication agencies have a responsibility to disseminate accurate information to the masses. Now, more than ever before, it is important that we honor this responsibility. When choosing what information to share, we could continue to focus on what divides us. In reality, however, there is far more that unites us — and we’d much rather focus on that.

In response to this division, our team at Killer Infographics has created Numbers to Unite, a micro-content series developed around single-stat data visualizations, reputably sourced and designed for sharing. Holding true to our mission statement, we will continue developing visual content to keep people informed, and showcase data that exemplifies our shared beliefs as a nation.

To start, Numbers to Unite will visualize information across 6 categories:

• Renewable Energy
• Women in Office
• American Manufacturing
• Immigration
• Our Economy
• Education

We will release at least one statistic each week beginning in 2017, with the frequency increasing when we feel it necessary to dispel any viral myths that could be furthering conflict.

It is our hope that by sharing statistics about what unites us as a nation, we can overcome the rhetoric that seeks to divide us and celebrate our shared values, regardless of who we voted for.

For updates on the latest Numbers to Unite posts, find this series on Instagram.