Designing an Infographic
Today, people are inundated with information, much of which goes unseen or simply in one ear and out the other. Not surprisingly, many brands are looking to create their own images to bring their messages to life and grab the attention of customers and prospects. One way to do this is through infographics. By combining eye-catching visuals and text, infographics make complex information and data more digestible and shareable.
Elements of a Great Infographic
So what makes a good infographic? Read below for the key elements of a great infographic to include in your next project:
Clear Purpose and Focus
The best infographics tell a compelling short story about one topic, rather than trying to cram chapters of information into one design. Streamline the focus of the infographic and use a catchy title so that your target audience can easily digest, share and discuss the content. Consider creating a series of infographics that complement one another if you have too much information for one piece. If you must, you can create a two page infographic, but one page is best.
Clean Design
Clean design draws readers in and allows them to easily follow the flow of the infographic. There are several elements that ensure a clean design: colour, text and visuals. First, define your colour palette, which may consist of various shades from your branding guidelines or hues that will help evoke the message of the infographic. Use an easy-to-read font in an appropriate size so that readers aren’t put off by your text. Finally, use fun visuals like icons, charts and sketches that bring the information and statistics to life.
Visuals
Visuals are key infographic requirements, yet sometimes the end result is too much text and not enough graphics. You don’t have to create a visual for each line of text, but it’s important to pull out key statistics and bring them to life with larger font, illustrations or graphs. Make sure your visuals are cohesive. For example, if the style is more cartoonish and playful, stick with that throughout the entire infographic.
Engaging Information & Data
Your infographic should highlight recent and relevant information and data that surprises and engages your readers. Avoid data that may be too complex to fully digest in infographic format. Consider framing the information in a way that makes it easy for readers to visualise it, such as “1 in 4 Americans do not recycle” or “Every 20 minutes a house fire occurs.”
Reputable Sources
An infographic shouldn’t be an opinion piece. Instead, it should outline key facts and figures. Consider conducting a survey, such as a Harris Poll, to gather new and reputable data to support your infographic. Then combine these insights with information from nationally and globally recognised organisations, such as the Centers for Disease Control, the World Wildlife Fund and the Institute for Food Safety and Health, depending on the topic of your infographic. Include citations at the bottom of the infographic so that it is easy for readers to see your sources and further explore the issue at hand.
A Call-to-action
At the bottom of your infographic, consider incorporating a call-to-action that directs readers to your website or additional resources where they can learn more about the topic at hand. Your infographic may be reposted across the web, so providing your website and logo enables readers to confirm the original source and learn more about your brand if they choose to do so.
The Infographic Template
Infographics put facts and data into a digestible format that is both educational and unique. Thankfully, infographic requirements aren’t complex. In fact, the two most important elements of any infographic are engaging visuals and useful information. By following this simple template, you can create colourful, memorable and educational infographics.
Once your designs are complete, remember to share your infographic widely. Post it to your website, break it up into bite-sized visuals for sharing on social media or even repurpose it into an infographic video to share on YouTube or Vimeo. Promote infographics in your e-newsletters and e-blasts, print them out and display them as posters throughout your business and share them during webinars and tradeshows.
Mulberry Marketing can help you create your next infographic. Reach out to learn about our process and see sample work.
Jess Messenger is an Account Director at Mulberry Marketing Communications, an award-winning full-service B2B communications agency based in Chicago, London and Australia. She enjoys developing PR campaign strategies and writing for B2B audiences across numerous verticals such as retail, foodservice and healthcare.
