Infographics, visual representations of knowledge or data presented quickly and clearly, improve cognition by relying on our ability to see patterns and trends.
Some of the earliest infographics are attributed to the sciences such as this version from Florence Nightingale which depicts causes of death during the Crimean War circa 1857.

With the rise of social media, infographics have become widespread. Interested in one ranking of the top 10 best infographics of 2015? If so, click that link you just passed.
Finally, you guessed it, there is an infographic for infographics, and here it is:
An infographic for infographics! How meta! I love that they reach as far back as Florence Nightingale! My students will be floored to learn that!
They actually go back even farther than that depending on who you ask. Thanks for commenting.
Because I am not a visual learner or thinker, it is always a struggle for me to remember to include something for my students who ARE. Infographics are helpful for communicating to many people. Public health has been using them – as Florence Nightingale shows!