Imagine that you are reading a two-page research paper full of numbers and data. How long will it take before you see all the numbers jumping everywhere? Do you wish there was a way to provide the same amount of information, but in a simpler, more engaging way? People are likely to digest data more easily if there are images or visual elements in the material, since our perceptions are constructed visually. Therefore, many companies, public relations (PR) agents or marketers today use infographics to approach their audience. Infographic is a visual image that contains graphs, bars, diagrams and text to reflect data and information. Before exploring the current uses of infographics, it is important to review their history. Images, icons and symbols have been present in our daily lives for a very long time to tell stories, share information and gain knowledge. It is probably the oldest form of communication. According to the book The Power or Infographics: Using Pictures to Communicate and Connect with you Audiences, the first example of infographics dates back to the Late Stone Age, specifically 30,000 BC, when ancestors began painting pictures. animal portraits on cave walls in southern France (Smiciklas 8). However, it was not until the 19th century that this infographic was recognized and proven effective, thanks to Florence Nightingale, an English nurse who put together a stack of bar graphs to illustrate the monthly number of casualties and causes of death during the Crimean War in order to help convince Queen Victoria to improve conditions in military hospitals. Since 1940, infographics have been popularized and used for editorial and publication purposes, Fortune magazine was the leader and most...... middle of paper ......al Age. 9th ed. Bedford St. Martin's: Boston, MA, 2014. Print. Krum, Randy. Cool Infographics: Effective communication with data visualization and design. Somerset, NJ: Wiley, 2013. Print. Lankow, Jason and Josh Ritchie. Infographics: the power of visual storytelling. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. PrintMcCue, T.J. “BizSugar provides curated content and community for small businesses.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, January 3, 2013. Web. May 1, 2014. .Medina, John. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. Seattle, WA: Pear Press, 2008. Public Library Collection of Electronic Books (EBSCOhost). Internet. April 30, 2014 Smiciklas, Mark. The power of infographics using images to communicate and connect with your audience. Indianapolis, Indiana: Que Pub., 2012. Print.