2023 Paper 1: Sample Response 1 (Cycling)

The infographic titled, “The Benefits of Shifting to Cycling” was published by the

Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and UC Davis. As an American

university with a largely liberal student body, the infographic seems to be geared towards a

more liberal audience, one that would be more likely to agree with the message of the

infographic and make changes to their lifestyle to become more eco-friendly by switching

their main mode of transport to cycling - which is the purpose of the text. This infographic

very clearly conveys its message of the importance of using eco-friendly transport through

its use of visual features. Through the use of color, engaging images, and an intuitive layout,

this infographic persuades readers of the benefits of cycling more often as well as how to

help cities in the United States and around the world make that change come to fruition.

The choice of color, specifically the usage of green, is one of the ways in which the

infographic sends a message of cycling being beneficial to the environment. The infographic

starts with the title, in white, against a green background. The green immediately provides

insight into what the benefits of cycling are, as green is a color that has heavy connotations

linking it to the environment. Additionally, the choice to have the title text in white portrays

ideas of goodness, the color being highly associated with purity; this links to the idea of

heaven and its “pearly white gates.” Through the simple choice of white text on a green

background, the ITDP has already informed – and persuaded - the readers that switching to

cycling is something positive, and beneficial for society. Additionally, green is a color not

only linked positively to nature, but it is also connected to the idea of money. By using the

color green for the text that says “Save cities USD 23 trillion.” the ITDP is helping readers

imagine the concept of money and saving it, by associating it with green. Furthermore,

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including “USD” when this targets a majority American audience also connects this to each

reader personally, making them feel more closely related to the money being spent on

transport that doesn’t benefit the environment. This helps to motivate readers to feel more

passionately about changing their lifestyle, and be more determined to save not only the

environment, but also save money for their country. Therefore, the association of the text

with the color green helps convey the message of helping the environment by switching to

cycling.

Color is not the only element that immediately informs and persuades readers –

little cartoon images are scattered throughout, clearly expressing the message of the

infographic (that switching to cycling benefits individuals and societies). Firstly, the image of

a bicycle is placed next to the title, immediately providing a visual cue for what the

infographic is going to be about. Throughout the rest of the text, there are five more images

of bicycles placed around, reinforcing the idea about bicycles and therefore the idea to use

them. By having them next to the text detailing the speed of a bike ride, the ability to save

money, and in two of the six actions for readers to take, it is continuously and consistently

associating bicycles with positivity and beneficial change, subconsciously encouraging

readers to involve themselves with bicycles and the act of cycling. In addition, the USA is a

very diverse country, with many immigrants who may not speak English fluently. The

incorporation of small cartoon images helps translate the message across languages – such

as the car with a red cross through it, next to the text about minimizing the usage of cars by

removing incentives. The reader, no matter their age, background, or even if they are simply

skim reading the infographic will understand what that particular image mean: that cars are

negative for the environment and to not use them (whenever possible). As well as the

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cartoons, the inclusion of diagrams such as bar charts, helps provide the feeling of trust for

readers. The bar charts next to the infographic’s statistical claims, such as the reduction of

“300 megatonnes of global CO2 emissions,” creates the feeling that this is something which

is backed by research, as any kind of diagram is associated, at least to some extent, with

research and evidence. By simply including a bar chart with the statistics, the ITDP bestows

the feeling of trustworthiness upon readers. Thus, they are more likely to feel encouraged

to take up cycling, as they have been presented information they feel is factual and reliable.

Therefore, the diagrams and cartoons that have been used along with the text enhance the

delivery of the message to switch to cycling and increase the likelihood of people changing

their lifestyles to be more eco-friendly.

Another feature that allows for the text and visuals to work together seamlessly to

convey the importance of switching to cycling is the layout. The way the infographic is

arranged provides a logical flow, allowing readers to intuitively follow the information

presented. The infographic is clearly laid out in three sections: what the issue is, the benefits

of mitigating the issue by switching to cycling, and how to carry out helpful lifestyle

adjustments. This straightforward flow of the text clearly outlines what the reader should

do, allowing them to have a clear understanding of it after finishing the infographic. The

infographic also makes use of having some text be larger and bolder than others, thus

drawing attention to key details and points, ensuring that at the very least, the reader will

remember those details, such as the six headers of the list of ways to make a change (build,

implement, invest, plan, remove and adopt). This allows for the most important points to be

retained by the reader, therefore making sure the essential parts of their message is

conveyed. Visually, the reader is also intuitively informed of the layout, as each new section

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is signaled by a color change. While the point about saving money has a grey background,

the list of lifestyle changes is white. This allows readers to separate each part of the

infographic, making it easily digestible for them, thus making the message of changing to an

eco-friendly lifestyle easier to remember. Finally, the infographic ends with the same color

block it started with – green – providing a feeling of finality and notifying the readers that

they have finished reading the infographic. This creates a feeling of finality and notifying

the readers that they have finished reading the infographic. Though very subtle, this creates

a feeling of a logical conclusion, and therefore, the intuitive flow of the layout helps leave

readers with the message, allowing them to clearly remember the ideas of how cycling can

benefit the world.

The infographic, though seemingly simple, is designed in a manner to simplify and

clearly convey the benefits of cycling to the readers. Through colors that subconsciously

connote ideas about nature, purity, and money; images that support the text’s

trustworthiness; and a clear, logical layout, the infographic leaves readers with the

knowledge of how cycling can improve lifestyles and the planet, and how they can

personally act to aid bringing these benefits to life. The design of this infographic allows for

interplay of the text and visuals in a way that successfully encourages its audience to

consider making changes in their lifestyle to improve society – both in the USA and globally,

as a whole.

Word count: 1242

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