It used to be that using infographics might gain you a lot of attention.
That is no longer the case. Everyone is creating infographics these days. Now you must create infographics that outperform those of your competitors. That is not an easy task.
I’ve been doing infographics for a long time. I’ve made errors, but I’ve also learned a few things. Here are some pointers to help you save your infographics from disaster.
1. Design an infographic for your intended audience.
Creating a great infographic begins with coming up with an idea for an infographic. And the best method to create a brilliant infographic concept is to first figure out what your target audience wants.
The most momentum, attention, and virality come from infographics that hit your target audience just where they want it.
One error I’ve seen people make when making an infographic is choosing something that is broadly popular rather than something that is uniquely relevant to their audience.
This infographic is intended for public school instructors.
Your objective is to produce an infographic for your target audience, not the entire globe. Maintain specificity, relevance, and focus.
2. Keep things simple.
One of the benefits of infographics is that they may condense complex concepts into a simple visual form.
However, the fundamental benefit of infographics may be their undoing. An infographic might become overly complicated, resulting in mind-numbing cognitive overload rather than “Oh, I get it.”
Infographics, like everything else in life, are best when they are simple.
This infographic might be more effective if divided into four or five sections.
Simplicity triumphs. Always.
3. Maintain attention
Simplicity, as previously noted, is ultimately about concentration. Make your infographic more than just a collection of data and numbers. Make it concise and focused on a single issue.
Infographics are not attempts to combine as much data as possible at random. An infographic, on the other hand, is meant to drive a single, concentrated message.
This infographic focuses on a single topic: How to prepare for exams.
4. Display information aesthetically.
I’ve seen infographics that are sparse on images but rich on information. The finest infographics are those with a nice balance of visual and textual information.
This infographic makes use of a few icons and a picture, but not many additional visual components. It requires more visual flair to qualify for the “graphic” in infographic.
5. Make it known.
The following is a shocking revelation: infographics do not inevitably go viral.
If you want your infographic to go viral, you’ll need to advertise it. You market it in the same manner you would any other valuable piece of content:
Contact significant sources in your niche and request that they include your infographic.
Use social plugins to make your infographic shareable.
Request other users share it.
Many amazing infographics are languishing in obscurity because their authors never took the effort to market them. Don’t let your infographic die too quickly. Promotion, publicizing, influencing.
6. Make it simple to interpret.
When scaling an infographic, it might get lost.
The designer builds things large, and then the developer has to scale it down. The readability suffers as a result.
Font sizes vary widely in several infographics. Make sure that even the tiniest type on your infographic can be read easily.
The text in the infographic below has grown too tiny to read comfortably.
Whether the viewer clicks to enlarge or not, the infographic should be easy to read and view. A good width to strive for is 600 pixels.
7. Trim it to a manageable length and width.
Infographics are meant to be large. We understand. But if you become too big, you’ll start losing people.
I propose limiting the length to 8,000 pixels. Anything longer, and you’ll be assuming your user’s attention span.
At 24,575 pixels, this infographic is definitely too lengthy.
Along with a length restriction, a size restriction is required. Users may be on a sluggish connection, so be considerate and limit your infographic to 1.5 MB.
8. Include white space.
An infographic is a good practice activity in graphic design. White space is essential, as any graphic designer can tell you.
The below infographic shows enough white space (which might be its point).
A good infographic design has a mix of visual components as well as the essential negative space to assist visitors as they look at the infographic.
9. Create an eye-catching headline.
The headline of your infographic is crucial. This approach applies to superb blog articles as well. If the infographic lacks a compelling headline, it will be overlooked.
Good headlines will have the following elements:
- They explain the infographic.
- They capture the user’s interest.
- They are brief enough to be understood quickly. 70 characters is an appropriate length.
Your infographic will not be seen if you do not have a compelling headline. That’s the end of it.
This infographic, for example, has a lengthy title that may not garner the attention it deserves.
You must put in the effort up front to ensure that you have a truly good title. When your designer puts the title into visual form, he or she will not improve on it. You’ll have to make the title explosive and forceful on your own.
10. Concentrate on the flow.
An infographic’s greatest strength is its ability to flow both cognitively and aesthetically.
An infographic is similar to a good tale. It has the power to transmit a concept by moving you from one phase to the next in a linear and seamless manner. All of the dots have been linked, and the concepts have been merged.
It’s powerful to be able to guide a viewer through a cognitive process. However, some infographics fall short on this issue. Instead than guiding the viewer through a thinking process, they merely present a slew of data in graphical form.
When producing an infographic, think about flow. The flow will assist the user in paying attention and being persuaded by the message you are providing.
Even when seen from a distance, this infographic has a clear flow. Each segment has a distinct color backdrop, a number, and a headline. Its comic book design allows us to read each segment more easily. Every graphic element contributes to a more strong flow.
11. Double-check your facts and statistics.
Many infographics are designed to show data. It’s a brilliant concept. When we see statistics and percentages, our minds can digest information far faster than if we just look at a number with decimal points and percentage signs.
But make sure you’re correct by paying attention to these three frequently neglected areas:
- Check to see if the statistics are correct.
- Make certain that your sources are trustworthy.
- Check that your graphical representation of the data corresponds to the number (if you have both)
If your infographic depends largely on statistics and facts, pay additional attention to this section, double-checking and rechecking.
12. Give credit to your sources.
Just because you’re creating an infographic doesn’t absolve you of the requirement to acknowledge your sources. Where did you receive your information? Cite it.
Use sources that are as current as possible. Using outdated statistics, particularly in an industry where information is always changing, makes you appear out of touch.
I normally include a citation to the source of my infographic data at the bottom of the infographic.
You can also mention sources inside the body of the infographic as long as it does not interfere with the flow or visual of the infographic.
Conclusion
Infographics are still very much alive and thriving. Anyone who says infographics are dead is either profoundly mistaken or hasn’t seen any genuinely excellent ones.
You have the ability to create an excellent infographic. Simply remembering these pointers will save you a lot of time and work.
What more do you have to say? What are some infographic tips you wish you had known decades ago?
