collage of articles on infographics

Article from medium.com : INFOGRAPHIC : Top 8 Digital Transformation Barriers

ref2 : https://in.pinterest.com/pin/361273201344262316/
https://www.freepik.com/blog/the-importance-of-great-design-in-infographics/

The Importance of Great Design In Infographics : Freepik company By Eryn Stubblefield

• Design is everywhere. Visual communication graphically represents information to efficiently and

effectively convey an idea. As the world continues to grow, and new ideas, issues, and technologies
are introduced, we are faced with the task of distributing a wide range of information to not only our
local towns and communities, but also across the world. There are a variety of ways to communicate
this information, but one the more effective tools are infographics.

• Infographics combine universal symbols, illustrations, forms of visual data, and short form text to tell
a story. Infographics have many purposes such as: engaging with specific audiences, educating viewers
about a certain topic or issue, enacting positive changes in a community, selling a product, and
promoting a brand or idea.

• Some infographics are created to provide information, but the majority of infographics are asking a
viewer to do something. This is known as a call to action. A call to action can be a request to get
involved, donate to a charity, purchase a product, change a habit or even promote a social media
profile. Pairing short form text with images has been proven to be the most effective way to
communicate information; making infographics an excellent tool for communicating complex ideas.

• There are over 10,000 images published daily under the classification of infographic. What makes
infographics unique is the heavy emphasis on design and the universal symbols and understanding.
Imagery is more universally understood than text. Imagery overcomes language barriers, cultural
barriers, and literacy barriers; making it the key component in infographics.
 • This image shows examples of universal symbols.

Most people recognize these symbols as road and caution signs. There is no need to include text for the
viewer to understand that they should take caution. Text can be added to provide more information as to
what type of caution should be taken, but the text is not necessary to understand the intended message.

Now, take a look at this image.

• The graphics in this image are not universal. They require text to provide context so that a viewer
will understand the intended message.

• The imagery and symbols included in infographics are the most important elements. This is why
great design is so important. Designers are tasked with making something that is both visually
pleasing, but also perfectly conveys the intended message.

• In the above infographic, the designer chose an esthetically pleasing layout. Without text, the viewer
can assume that the infographic is demonstrating a timeline relating to the world and technology. Also,
the globe is placed at the top of the infographic with implies it is a primary topic.

• Next the viewer sees a timeline in chronological order. At the bottom of the infographic, the viewer
sees different technology symbols. The placement at the bottom of each box headed with the year can
be used to imply the changes in technology over time. By combining imagery with good principles of
design, a viewer can gain a basic understanding of the message of the infographic without reading any
text.
 • In the final example above, the infographic is well designed, and well organized. While the designer
chose symbols that are distinct and clearly represent coffee, if you are not familiar the idea of different
types of coffee, this infographic may be confusing.

https://visme.co/blog/infographic-dimensions/

How to Choose the Right Infographic Dimensions for Your Design : Written by: Orana Velarde

Choose the Right Infographic Dimensions According To Your Audience

Designing for Particular Platforms : There’s no better time to consider your target audience than when
choosing the right infographic dimensions. Let’s say your audience is mostly on social media. But which
social media platform in particular?

• If they're on Pinterest, go with a vertical infographic dimension.

• On Instagram? Then create square infographics.
• Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin? Best to go with horizontal infographic dimensions.
Selecting Dimensions According to Your Content
• When you have a list of 10 items to visualize on an infographic, a vertical infographic might be the
best choice. But if you manage to minimize the text and go super visual, why not go for a square
instead? Take a look at the infographic below. This is an example from our article on how to create
clutter-free infographics. It shows how using icons can cut on text content and even make things look
better.
Know The Difference Between Dimensions And Aspect Ratio

Basically, it’s the relative measurement of the width and height of a graphic, screen (like your smartphone or
TV), print, photo, video and so on. An old-school style television has a 4:3 aspect ratio, an HD flat screen
has a 16:9 aspect ratio.

When to Use Vertical Infographic Dimensions

• Blog Posts
• Pinterest
• Websites
• Printed Posters
When it comes to infographic dimensions for a vertical infographic, there’s really no limit to its height. But
what you need to consider is where the infographic will be published. This will determine how long your
infographic should be. That’s especially true about infographics for blog posts or scrolling infographics.

Medium Height Infographic Dimensions

The team at Pinterest loved all those long and super long infographics, but they were also worried about how
they randomly changed the layout and made things look untidy. Therefore, if you want your infographics on
Pinterest to work for you, you have two choices:

1. Create medium height infographics that show fully in Pinterest results.

2. Create any length infographics, taking into account that only the top part will be visible on Pinterest
results and feeds.

The most versatile infographic dimensions for an infographic shared on Pinterest is 735 x 1102px. This
measurement has a 2:3 aspect ratio.

Medium to Long Height Infographic Dimensions

• Infographics that are a bit longer or double the height of a 2:3 infographic are great for blog posts. A
good aspect ratio for these dimensions is anything between 1:2 and 1.3. In fact, Pinterest will also
show an infographic without cropping if it has a 1:2.1 ratio. That’s only a bit longer than 2:3.

• The infographic below is 800 x 1790. This looks great in a blog but will get a bit cut off on Pinterest.
 This one is 800 x 3220. This will also look good in a blog post.

Full-Width Scrolling Infographic Dimensions

Last but not least is the full-width scrolling infographic. These are usually long or super long, but they're
also wide and high resolution. Infographics with these dimensions are not your regular run of the mill
creations. The dimension for a full-width scrolling infographic is usually at least 1920px wide with no a
height limit. 1920px is a standard size for computer screens. These infographics are not usually responsive,
meaning they'll pretty much always look better on a desktop than on a mobile device. to create an
infographic like the one above with Visme, follow these steps:

1. Open an infographic template or a blank canvas.

2. Change the canvas size to 1920px wide. The length will depend on your design.
3. Add, design and rearrange the elements into the new space. If you use content blocks, the process is
easier.
4. Extend the height bar until all the elements are contained.
5. Publish to the web and copy the embed code.
6. Paste the embed code into your website.

When To Use Horizontal Infographic Dimensions

• A deck of animated and interactive slides with bits of the infographic on every slide
 • An infographic video with animated characters, animations or motion graphics

To be safe, you could stick the standard presentation size. Our presentation templates are 735x1135
px. With Visme, you can create an infographic like this and then download it both ways:

1. As a long infographic
2. As a group of images

Then, you open a blank presentation canvas and upload the blocks of your infographic.

• You could even print horizontal infographics as postcards. Then send them to your client base with a
handwritten message in the back. If the infographic is useful and designed well, they might even stick
it to their corkboard or fridge. The best social media platforms for horizontal infographics are
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even SlideShare.

How To Use Square Infographic Dimensions

• Instagram is the best platform for square infographics. You may think that this is a bit weird. Why
would you share infographics on Instagram?

Square infographics don’t need to be stand-alone graphics. Just how infographics with horizontal
dimensions can be turned into slideshows and videos, square infographics can be posted as social media
carousels. On Instagram mainly, but also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/top-5-tools-for-building-infographics
Why Infographics Work

• We are bombarded by so much information on a daily basis that it’s easy to get overwhelmed – put
simply, there’s only so much text we can absorb in a single day or even hour. But when we come
across well-crafted, engaging visuals, we have the opportunity to understand concepts in new ways,
and we’re able to absorb these much faster than we are other formats.

How to Use Infographics for Maximum Impact

Infographics are useful to share across various channels, meaning that they can offer a high ROI for the
short period of time you spend designing them. And you can definitely create them for specific purposes and
share with other companies in similar industries if each company is willing to cross-promote.

Always Consider the Audience First

It’s obvious that you want to be on brand as far as your audience’s interests and purchasing patterns are, but
it may not be as obvious to try to make the infographic styled in such a way that it represents your brand and
therefore is going to catch the eye of warm traffic, for instance.

Give them a Solution (or at least hint at it)

Infographics are interesting tools because they can be at the cross-section of education and advertising –
what you’re really doing is giving people information, but if you’re making them think about a specific
topic, you may also be able to help them step towards your offering.

Focus on Visual Elements

Incorporating infographics into blogs and other content can also work well in telling important stories. The
other thing about infographics is to focus on the images, into the text. A good way of ensuring that you don’t
have too much text in the design.

Keep it Simple

Between your typography and your visuals, it’s important that you keep things as simple as possible. Don’t
try to do anything overly artsy or add too many lines or complex color schemes.

Top 5 Tools for Infographics

Here’s a peek at some of the best.

1. Canva

Canva is one of the most well-regarded tools around and is also one of the easiest tools to use. Many people
swear by it not only because results are professional but simply because it’s inexpensive and simple to use.

2. Visme
Visme is a versatile platform that gives people of all levels the chance to create a whole realm of engaging
visuals including presentations, banners, and animation. There are tons of templates available, and the
interface has different levels of usability depending on how experienced you are. It’s actually geared
towards student pricing so is affordable at only $6 monthly, and that’s the premium version – but first, test it
for free.

3. Venngage

At $0 to $50 per month, the software has the potential to fit almost anybody’s budget and in that respect, is
great for businesses of any size to try out. The software offers plenty of cool and easy-to-understand
template options, along with plenty of tips and tricks that help almost anyone create professional level
content.

4. Infogram

Infogram offers an extremely attractive, slick and inviting interface incorporating a huge range of
contemporary modern graphics, so if that’s something that fits your style and brand messaging, you may want
to give it a try. You can also use Infogram with a variety of other cloud-based software, which allows you to
share your creations with team members, co-create or even import and export datasets from a distance.

5.Google Charts

Have you ever seen an infographic that seems great but you have no real link to a particular brand or
product? Google charts is simple to use and free, so it’s a great place to start if you’re inexperienced.

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/10/the-dos-and-donts-of-infographic-design/
OCTOBER 14, 2011 : The Do’s And Don’ts Of Infographic Design
Check upcoming workshops ↬

Wrapping Your Mind Around Data Viz And Infographic Design

Designing an infographic is not the same as designing a website, flier, brochure, etc. Even some of the best designers,
with portfolios that would make you drool, cannot execute an effective infographic design. Creating infographics is a
challenge and requires a mindset that does not come naturally to everyone

IF THE CLIENT WANTED AN EXCEL CHART, THEY WOULDN’T NEED YOU

It might sound harsh, but it’s true. If infographics were as simple as laying out a bunch of standard charts and graphs
on a page, then clients would not need to search out great designers. Taking the data from above, which of the two
graphs below do you think would make a client happier?
Two ways to visualize the data from the Twitter example above.
If you answered Graph B, you’re catching on. Of course, not all data lends itself to creative and unique
graphs. Graph A might work very well if the rest of the infographic shared a similar aesthetic

Organization And Storyline

Organizing an infographic in a way that makes sense and that keeps the viewer interested is not always easy,
but it’s part of the job for most infographic designers. Usually, you will be given a lot of data and will need
to create a visual story out of it. This can be challenging at first, but you can follow some general rules to
make things easier.
WIREFRAME THE INFOGRAPHIC
Wireframing an infographic enables you to work out a storyboard and layout for the design. You may have
an idea of the story you want to tell, but as you start laying things out, you might hit a wall and have to start
over. Set aside an hour to sketch things out and make sure it all makes sense. This will also help to ensure
that the color palette you will choose drives attention to the important points and keeps the eye flowing
down the page.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
As you wireframe the infographic, you will identify section breaks that help to tell the story. Most
infographics online have a vertical flow, in which each section has a heading to distinguish it from the last.
This gets boring fast. Organizing the data and sectioning off information without relying entirely on
headings and color breaks is a good way to break the monotony.
TELL A STORY
All good stories have a beginning, middle and end. Infographics deserve the same treatment. At the beginning
of the infographic, introduce the problem or thesis. From there, back it up with data. Finally, end the
infographic with a conclusion.
VISUALIZE THE HOOK
Every good infographic has a hook or primary take-away that makes the viewer say “A-ha!” As a designer,
you should make this hook the focal point of the design if at all possible. Placing the hook at either the center
or very end of the infographic is usually best, so that it grabs more attention. Give the most important
information the most visual weight, so that viewers know what to take away. Here are some examples of well
visualized hooks:

Hooks should either be

in the center, beginning, or end of the infographic and need the greatest visual emphasis.
Cleaning Things Up With Color
The difference a color palette can make is amazing, especially in the world of infographics. The right palette
can help organize an infographic, evangelize the brand, reinforce the topic and more. The wrong palette can
turn a great topic into an eyesore, harm the brand’s image and convey the wrong message. Here are some tips
to consider when choosing colors for your infographic.

MAKE IT UNIVERSAL
In Web design, it’s always important to choose a palette that fits the theme of the website and that is neutral
enough for a diverse group of visitors. For instance, dominant dark colors and neons typically do not translate
well on infographics; neon on black can be hard to read, and if there is a lot of data, taking it all in will be a
challenge. Also, avoid white as a background whenever possible. Infographics are often shared on multiple
websites and blogs, most of which have white backgrounds. If your infographic’s background is also white,
then deciphering where it begins and ends will be difficult.

A THREE-COLOR PALETTE IS EASY ON THE EYES

If picking a color palette is hard for you, stick to the rule of three. Choose three primary colors. Of the three,
one should be the background color (usually the lightest of the three), and the other two should break up the
sections. If you need to add other colors, use shades of the three main colors. This will keep the palette cohesive
and calming, rather than jarring.

USE THE TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL

Adobe’s Kuler offers fresh themes and a searchable database, as well as an easy tool to adjust the palette that
you’re interested in. Another color-picking tool is COLOURlovers. This database is easier to search through:
it breaks palettes into different themes and can be sorted by favorites.

https://blog.thenounproject.com/how-to-design-an-effective-infographic-with-icons-f6f9723d66dc

How to Design an Effective Infographic with Icons : Jeremy Elliott

You don’t have to be a professional designer to create engaging, educational infographics with attention-
grabbing icons.

What Story Are You Trying to Tell?

A good infographic lets you know at a glance what story is being told, without having to spend extra time
reading, interpreting, and drawing your own conclusions.

Here are some of the stories you can tell using infographics:

Complicated Subjects Made Simple

- Here’s what climate change means for Africa and Asia.
- Here’s how information travels from your computer to data centers.

Demographic Information / Personas: Getting to Know a Population

- Here’s a persona of our average customer based on demographic statistics.

Each type of story can be translated into an overarching design scheme. In certain cases, like a timeline of a
historical event, a clear step-by-step process format likely makes the most sense. For more complex sets of data
(say, if you want to go beyond a mere timeline and examine the people, political forces, and demographic
information about certain populations that all led up to an event or time period), you can group different types
of data within a scheme to help people digest “chunks” of information piece by piece.

An infographic can have an overarching design scheme (such as a historical timeline or side-by-side
comparison), though many will contain mixed data sets that rely on visual groupings to make information
more digestible.

Above all, the element of surprise (or novel discovery) should be what drives your infographic. What has your
data uncovered that’s new and noteworthy? Is it worth bringing to people’s attention, or is it irrelevant or
unsurprising? If you work in marketing or advertising, consider what pieces of information will influence
behavior.

What Types of Data Are You Illustrating?

You may already be well-versed in translating data into handy visualizations (think chart functions in Microsoft
Excel or Google Sheets). Once you bring your data visualizations into an infographic, consider the following:

• Don’t just regurgitate the data — make it appealing to audiences. What was the most
surprising discovery that your audiences will learn the most from? What will emotionally
resonate with them, or spur them to take action or change everyday behaviors?

• Instead of merely copying and pasting charts from Excel, make sure they use the same
color scheme as the rest of the infographic.

The beauty of infographics, though, is that they can unite the statistical with the anecdotal to complete the story.
What key stats could be augmented by a quote from a researcher, student, or consumer? What bits of
background information would provide better context for the info presented?
The types of data you’ve collected dictate how you’ll present them. And finally, it should also go without
saying: do your research, fact-check, and cite sources! Your credibility is at stake, and you don’t want to be
caught giving unreliable or false information.

Getting Started: The Do’s and Don’ts of Design & Layout

Simplicity

You’re making an infographic because you want to highlight bits of information — not your entire data set. If
the reader has to comb through whole paragraphs or every point on a bar chart to draw their own conclusions,
you haven’t done your job of summarizing key points.

Think uncluttered, minimalist, and fewer characters than you use on Twitter for each data point (this is where
icons will do the heavy lifting of communication).

Visual Consistency: Fonts and Colors

If you’re designing a piece of collateral for a brand or company you work for, you may already have a set of
brand colors that will make it easy for audiences to know that this infographic is coming from you. If you’re
building an infographic from scratch, consider how colors influence legibility and mood. Too many loud or
clashing colors will be distracting. A gentler palette of harmonious hues with appear more polished and
professional.

Use no more than three (ideally just two) typefaces in your infographic. Typeface pairing is a fine, sometimes
complex art — take out the guesswork by using a resource like fontjoy.com.
Visual Hierarchy and Scanability

Hierarchy is suggested through a number of cues: size, color, contrast, and placement on the page (first vs.
last). Any of these attributes can be mixed and matched to give more or less visual priority to a certain element.

Alignment and Order

Many people have found ways to make dynamic, fluid infographics work well visually. As long as your
information points are clustered together with a clear hierarchy to connect image, headline text, and
corresponding body text, you can get away with a more “loose” layout to a degree. If your design program of
choice doesn’t have a grid view, it likely at least offers you the option to insert a table which will help align
your content along rows and columns.

Balance and Groupings

Groupings become the crux of infographic design especially when you have multiple different types of data
that should naturally go together instead of being scattered haphazardly. Many infographics will employ graphs,
charts, numerical statistics and percentages, geographic maps, physical diagrams, and anecdotal stories.

• Which types of data naturally go well together (e.g. a pie chart percentage for a female population next
to a matching pie chart for a male population)?
• Which different data points are actually closely linked facets of the same story or idea (e.g. a fun fact
about a geographic region, vs. a fun fact about a particular person, which could be separated on a page)?
• Think about how your groupings can help the reader ingest lots of data more smoothly. Are too many
disparate ideas making the overall story jarring and confusing? How can you either lump different data
types together, or make a unifying statement that is supported by different data points (like different
sentences in the same paragraph)?
 • Using Icons for Impact
Icons are the stars of the show in an infographic (assuming you don’t have a rich, highly-detailed illustration to
carry the weight). They attract attention more than words, but most importantly, they convey meaning and
reiterate the themes more immediately than supporting text or data. Consider some of the following best
practices to make the most out of icons:

• First, use icons that share a similar line weight or general look and feel.

• Also think about whether the icons aesthetically match your overall style or not.

Think unity in design. Even a quick selection of icons should ultimately complement your overall aesthetic
and work as a whole.