Infographics are one of the easiest ways to convey a lot of information in an easy to digest way. But, if you’re not careful an infographic can move from useful to useless very fast. That’s why we’ve created this post, to help you understand what an infographic is and how to create one.
Understand what an infographic is (and isn’t)
The word "infographic" literally means "information graphic." But what does that mean, exactly? And how is it different from other visual content you might use for your brand or business?
An infographic is basically just a visual representation of data. It's a great way to present information that might otherwise be difficult to understand or remember. Infographics can explain complex ideas and make them easy to understand. They're also a great way to illustrate the value of your product or service by showing off its features and benefits.
The people who create infographics are called information designers—and they have some pretty specific skills and toolsets (you can find these designers right here on Share)! We've put together this guide so that you can learn how to design an infographic with purpose.
It uses images, charts, and graphs to convey complex ideas and data in an easily digestible format. They can be used for everything from simple presentations to complex marketing campaigns.
Infographics can take many different forms. Some common elements include:
- Maps
- Charts and graphs
- Timelines
- Flowcharts
- Diagrams
For many people, infographics are the go-to when it comes to visualizing data. But if you're not sure what an infographic is, then you might be surprised to learn that there's an infographic for just about everything.
In fact, there are so many infographics out there that it can be hard to tell what your options are—so we've decided to make it easy for you. Here's how you can use infographics in your next project:
Infographics aren't charts or graphs: While both charts and graphs can be used in an infographic, they're not the same thing. For example, if you wanted to show how many people use a certain product during different hours of the day, a chart would likely be more effective than a graph because it lets users see where each point falls on the continuum at any given time.
Infographics aren't just pictures: Infographics can be made up entirely of images (like photographs), but they don't have to be. They also commonly include text and other graphics like icons or illustrations.
Clearly define your purpose
The first step in creating an effective infographic is creating with purpose. What problem does your infographic solve? What knowledge do you want to share with your readers? How will they benefit from reading it? These questions should guide all decisions you make when creating your infographic, from the design and layout to choosing the best medium for sharing (like social media).
Determine who your audience is
The second step in creating an infographic is defining your audience. Who are you making this infographic for? What do they want to know about? How can you help them?
Before you start creating, you should make sure you know who your audience is and what they need or want from your infographic. Is it meant for a specific group of people? Are they looking for information on a specific topic? Maybe they're interested in learning about how something works or how it affects their lives. If you know what your audience wants, then you can tailor the content and design of your infographic accordingly.
Conduct research (and lots of it)
After defining who your audience is and what problem you want to solve, conducting research is the third step in creating an effective infographic. You'll need to do some background research on the topic at hand before moving forward with any other aspects of production—from choosing colors that align with your brand identity to understanding how people currently perceive the topic at hand.
Don't just make things up! In order for anything to be considered true knowledge or accurate information, there needs to be some kind of proof behind it—and that means doing research!
One of the common pitfalls with infographics is that they can skip over very important details for the sake of simplicity. Don’t forget that you are communicating information here, not just making a pretty design.
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