Behind the Scenes: Infographics Editor at Die Zeit

Infographics have long been an indispensable part of modern reporting, especially for a renowned weekly newspaper like Die Zeit. As an editor in the infographics department, Matthias Holz not only has the task of presenting complex data in a visually appealing way, but is also responsible for developing the entire graphic concept. In our interview, he provides exciting insights into his work, the challenges in the infographics editorial department and the creative process behind the precisely designed illustrations.

How did you come to be an infographics editor at Die Zeit?

During a six-month internship as part of my Master's degree in Illustration at HAW-Hamburg. During a seminar, we visited publishing houses based in Hamburg to familiarise ourselves with their internal processes. During our visit to Die Zeit, we were offered the opportunity to apply for an internship in the infographics department. I did so and was accepted. After the six months were up, I continued to work as a temp in the infographics department and was later offered a job as an infographics editor. I have now been working in Infographics for more than 10 years.

What are the challenges of creating infographics for a large weekly newspaper like Die Zeit?

The creation of an infographic within an editorial team is not the work of a single person - many parties are involved. In most cases, an infographic does not stand on its own, but is part of an article and supports the message of the respective text. For this reason, the editor and the relevant department often already have an idea of how the data should be visualised. The layout also influences the design of the graphic. In addition, the art director also takes a look at the work and checks whether the infographic fits in well with the overall layout of the paper and is easy to understand. It can happen that the colour scheme has to be changed due to an advertisement placed on the page or another graphic in the paper so that the paper does not become too monotonous. All these aspects need to be considered and coordinated. You should also be prepared for the fact that some graphics may not make it into print despite all your efforts. Current political events take priority - the entire selection of topics can change as a result, making your own graphics and the effort you have put into them obsolete.

What does your typical working day as an infographics editor at Die Zeit look like?

As Die Zeit is published every week on Thursdays, the working week in the infographics department, which is made up of five graphic designers and assigned to the respective departments (politics, knowledge, business, etc.), follows a certain rhythm. Work on the current issue begins on Thursdays and Fridays. Each department has its own conference, the so-called ‘Blattmacher-Runde’, in which the department presents the planned topics for the next issue to the layout team. This serves to discuss the look and layout of the individual texts. It is also decided here whether an infographic is required for an article. Ideas for the design are freely exchanged. We then create initial graphic drafts in consultation with the layout and editors. These are finalised on Monday and Tuesday until the paper goes to print late on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, the graphics are then reworked by us for secondary utilisation for Zeit-Online.

How do you go about setting topics for your infographics? What criteria are decisive?

There is no general answer to this question. If the topic is set by the author of the text, the research often comes from the editor himself and it is a matter of organising the data and setting a focus in the graphic. Small graphics such as maps also need to be designed in a catchy way - they should help the reader to locate places mentioned in the text. However, we also set some graphic themes ourselves - although we always have to make sure that the theme fits into the section of the page and that there is no duplication. In addition, the topic should of course be of interest to the readers and there must be a certain topicality. A winter topic such as ‘Ski resorts in the German Alps in times of climate change’ makes more sense in January than in August!

What is the process from research to the final infographic?

Firstly, a topic should be outlined for which you want to create a graphic. This is followed by research, which is either carried out by us as infographics experts or by the writing colleague who needs a graphic to supplement their text. The next step is to liaise with the layout department to find out how much space is available and how the page is to be designed. If the message of the graphic plays a major role in the content or the information in the graphic is very interesting, the layout will also follow the design of the infographic.

The research is then scrutinised and the data that appears relevant is included in the graphic. Now it's time to play a little with the area and the graphic elements and try out how the individual diagrams relate to each other. For example, a pie chart could be shown in the shape of a sweet if it is a chart about sugar consumption. Or a chart could be part of a large illustration. Such design ideas depend, of course, on whether you are aiming for a more playful look or a more rigorous design. 

Once you are satisfied with the result, the interim status should be discussed with the art director, who has a better view of the general design of the entire newspaper and checks whether the graphic fits in well with the page design and the overall look of the issue. At the same time, the colours of the graphic are printed as a test, i.e. they are ‘proofed’ to see whether they stand up well on the newsprint. This is because there is often a discrepancy between the colour representation on the computer screen and the colour reproduction on newsprint - it absorbs a lot of ink, which often makes the colours appear duller in print. If a photo is part of the layout, the graphics often follow the colour scheme of the image in order to achieve a harmonious overall impression on the page.

As a final step, the editor checks the content and spelling and the infographic is approved for printing.

Do you adapt your illustration style to the different themes?

Partly yes. I prefer to use vector graphics for factual topics with a political or economic focus. But when it comes to depicting natural themes, I like to work with colour and brushes on paper.

How do you decide what information and data to include?

Research is often very extensive and a focus has to be set for the selection, as the available space is usually limited. You are therefore forced to sort out. On the one hand, some information is not included in the final graphic, but on the other hand it helps to make a clear infographic statement. Ultimately, you have to find a balance between focus and diversity for yourself and the graphic, which can be a difficult process!

In your opinion, what are the most important characteristics of a good infographic?

A good infographic is a tidy transfer of knowledge. It is characterised by a clear structure so that the presented content is conveyed in a catchy way. In the best case, only a little text is required. The graphic should be largely self-explanatory. To this end, the content to be conveyed must be well organised and abstracted to make it easier for the reader to get to grips with the graphic. In addition, the individual elements of the graphic must be well structured to ensure good readability..

Further infographic projects for Die Zeit by Matthias Holz