For information to be useful, it all depends on the way you present it. Depicting complex information in a way that’s easy to understand is expected. Data that are communicated through visual elements will have an extra impact. You want your content to stand out to your audience.
The problem with infographics is that they’re sometimes overstuffed with images or texts. Infographics shouldn’t be only visually compelling–that would be defeating the whole purpose of the infographic concept.
Graphs, charts, or images, followed by minimal text, aim to give an easily understandable overview of a complicated subject. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can focus on making an effective, readable, and beautiful infographic.
Pick A Topic That Targets Your Audience
Don’t start creating an infographic just for the sake of it. Begin by selecting the subject or content you want to build your infographic around. You might have the next big viral idea for an infographic, but you’re not going to get much engagement if your audience isn’t interested in what you’re sharing. An infographic can’t be cluttered and over-long; it’s best to stick to a single topic.
For your content to resonate with your audience, pick a topic that addresses their interests and their needs. This will be one of the most important considerations when you’re picking your topic.
There are multiple ways to find out about your audience’s interests. Take a look at social media, forums, or you can even send out surveys. And through Google Trends or Buzzsumo, you can find what’s trending in your industry or location.
Create A Catchy Headline
The headline or title is the first thing people will notice. Infographics’ titles should be appealing and compelling in visual content to engage your readers.
Try to incorporate adjectives, create curiosity by using words like “end” and “without”. Make sure the headline is short and has an accurate description of what your audience is about to see.
Arrange Your Data
The very next step is to organize your content and handpick the most relevant points for your audience. You’ll need to dissect the basic structure of the content. If it’s for a blog post, pick the four or five key elements. If it’s for a set of data, use the most impactful numbers.
The data or the content in your infographic should flow like a good story. The graphic details in your visuals must guide the reader’s eye from the beginning to the end.
A Basic Structure And Focal Point
Pen the design for your infographic. You can always redo the basic structure, as there is no harm in starting over. Designing the structure of your infographic on a piece of paper is the best step. You can make several drafts until you find the right look. Once you get started on the process, making changes will be more complicated than taking the time upfront to be sure you have your best draft.
Many people can find infographics to be overly busy and distracting if there are too many things going on at once. Visual representation of data or content should be kept simple. You can start the design by developing a central image to focus on. It is best to place the focal point at the center of the infographic to draw people in and allow their eyes to absorb the visual and let the story unfold from there.
Digitalize The Structure
You can use various templates to turn your wireframes into an excellent structure and you’ll find fishbone templates to be extremely versatile and unique. It is best to go with templates for beginners rather than starting with a blank canvas. These pre-made templates are editable and customizable according to your liking; saving you precious time and effort when making infographics.
This approach will land you the best-designed infographics with the least amount of effort possible. All you have to do is fill in the blanks with the important data you planned for previously.
Fill The Empty Space
Once the wireframe and digitization are taken care of, you can start filling the blank space with suitable content for your audience. Give thorough explanations of the points or data, as per the selected points in Step 3.
For an infographic, the visual element is very critical so always aim to use imagery to strengthen your points. The pyramid template strengthens the infographics by highlighting the essential elements.
Add metaphors to your infographic to change a mundane story into an interesting and visually appealing presentation.
Limit The Text and Color
Data visualization should contain minimal reading content and it’s recommended to keep the infographics more visually picturesque. If an infographic contains a lot of text, it might as well be a blog post.
The audience should be able to grasp the concept through the images presented with very little attendant text. The infographic should be able to deliver the core message you’re trying to convey.
Now that your wireframe structure, content, and supporting image are in place, you can start playing around with the infographic. First and foremost, pick a consistent style and a color scheme. Choosing the typeface is important, as it will deliver the readability of your infographic and add an attractive note to your design.
If your infographic is representing data, people will want to know from where you’ve derived your data. Sources and references should be included in fine print at the bottom of your infographic. Typically, you give the relevant URLs below the infographic image. You are required to vouch for the stated data by citing your sources.
Size It Right and Make it Shareable
To get more shares, vertical infographics perform better than horizontal ones. It is natural to scroll up and down rather than the right and left. It is advisable to keep it below 1800 pixels.
To make it user-friendly to share, you can create embed codes and social sharing buttons. To share it in the social media feeds, have a smaller snapshot image of the infographic. For downloadable purposes, keep the file less than 1.5 MB.
To Sum It Up
Now that you have learned how to create a good infographic, it’s time to get started. Make it simple and comprehensible for readers–not just attractive!
The above pointers are baby steps that will allow a beginner to transform data or information into a clear, concise, and stunning infographic. Start compiling your basic infographic structure and use easy online tools such as SlideHunter.