Complex topics visually decoded: a multimodal perspective on infographics in knowledge transfer between experts and laypeople

Knowledge transfer between experts and laypersons often does not involve the creation of parallel specialist and target texts, but rather of multimodal compositions such as infographics. These visual-dominant formats are designed to improve information transfer by presenting specialized knowledge in a comprehensible manner for a wider audience. This contribution investigates the techniques used to “translate” specialist-coded knowledge into the format of the infographic, placing particular emphasis on the multimodal interplay between different semiotic modes. The present analysis is designed as a case study and draws on a selection of three infographics from the Institut national des sciences de l’Univers (INSU), specifically created for climate change communication in collaboration with the media company Bon Pote.