What It Shows
This infographic shows the different ways businesses cost more than managers and owners expect, with UK figures for desk space, power, employee web surfing, office supplies, utilities, tea breaks, sick days, smoking breaks, expenses, and salaries.
Why It’s Good
I like that the visuals that are meant to represent comparisons in scale are actually in proportion, which you would think would be obvious but is certainly not always the case. Also, the ways they were done were actually clever. Not just image decorations but an expression of the data using the images themselves, with the toilet roll being particularly cute.
As these types of infographics go, the artwork is quite solid and professional-looking, too. It’s readable, clear, and pleasing to go through with stylistic touches that show effort. These relative-figure-list infographics often seem rushed and lazy, and this one doesn’t. For example, the background shapes behind each fact block. Unnecessary, artistic, appreciated.
What It’s Missing
Nothing but my usual gripes about stats lists being unoriginal. At least they are comparative, but for the most part there is nothing particularly creative about the general format of the infographic. No clever data analysis or presentation.
Actually, I’m a bit annoyed at “salaries” being framed as a hidden cost. I understand wanting to put all the costs in once you have the hidden ones too, but if you’re making an infographic about hidden costs (and the majority are legitimately relative hidden, which is why it’s useful), either don’t put the obvious costs, or demarcate and explain. Also, if you are going to include obvious ones like salaries, I would have thought an insurance company’s infographic would have included the cost of business insurance as well…?!
This infographic was found on the Towergate Insurance site here.
