How to use an infodiscographic to show the uniqueness of a product (your favorite musician)

What a pleasure to go to a restaurant and see your favorite musician play! Of course, this becomes an impossible mission as soon as they get famous and produce in front of thousands of fans, all over the world. However, we have a simple solution to achieve the same result in the comfort of our home.

Did you ever try to imagine your favorite artist’s discography as a restaurant menu? Here is a practical tool called info-disco-graphic.

How to visualize a musician’s discography

Your best friend in studying an artist’s evolution is Wikipedia. Take the example of Neal Morse (one of my favorites musicians). In the article describing his rich discography, we can find the list of bands he was part of, albums recorded each year, live recordings, as well as other productions (books, videoclips, DVDs etc.).

Take a sheet of paper and write down each year and each production throughout the artist’s career. You can also use PowerPoint, OneNote, Canva or any other visual software. Here is Neal Morse’s discography drawn using Balsamiq.

1. Research and raw data

2. Data distillation

3. Show parallel timelines

4. Reflect on the content

5. Events

6. Add more contrast between the parallel lanes

7. Add a frame around your visual

8. Add the legend

9. Add the title (and whitespace)

10. Try alternative visual shapes for the same content

Using discography and restaurant menus as marketing tools

The offer of a company having some history can also be presented as a discography. Research your history timeline, distil past changes, and mark up events having an impact on the company’s evolution. Add parallel lines for different products (or for competition’s products). Bring forward unique takes and main differences between the parallel timelines.

The same offer can be presented as a restaurant’s menu. When clients knock on your door, what menu do you show them? Do you have appetizers, smaller products easier to “taste” and to try? What are your main dishes/products? Do you also have a dessert, maybe some intriguing bonus features? Do not omit to bring forward your uniqueness, the dish that makes you different from the competition and wins your clients’ loyalty.

Info-disco-graphics reveal an artist’s uniqueness

There is no need to look up infodiscographics in your dictionary, it is a made-up word. However, you could use the tool described in this article to understand your favorite musician’s menu, their evolution, and – why not – to find their musical uniqueness.

PS

Here is a slideshow with the infographic’s evolution.