5 Basics of Information Design
Infographics have the power to sway your target audience and win over customers and potential leads. They are widely shared on social media and can incorporate animation and other tricks to stand out above the fray. However, at the core of infographic creation is good graphic design practices, something you don’t need years of experience to follow. Check out these five guidelines to create captivating visuals.
1. Focus on a few key ideas.
If you plan to use your infographic to present complex information, consider breaking up your ideas into a few key takeaways that you want readers to know. You can include plenty of data in your charts and graphs, but you want to keep readers focused on the big picture. Treat each section of your infographic like a PowerPoint slide. How does the information highlight your overarching message or business goals? If you keep this in mind, you can ensure clarity in your design process and create something of value.
2. Good UX design starts with your audience’s needs.
Too often, business owners that want to invest in infographics want something flashy with complex motion graphics and a dazzling design style. However, their audience simply wants the information presented cleanly and simply. As you look into the user experience (UX design) remember to start small and work your way up in complexity.
Even illustrators with years of experience in graphic design will still turn to a basic data visualization template if it’s the easiest way to convey the brand messaging.
3. Use fonts and icons that are easy to understand.
The last thing you want is to invest in data visualization and infographic design only to create something that people can’t understand. Too often, people get caught up in Adobe InDesign and create a flyer or brochure that looks good on the screen but is unreadable across the web or in print.
There are a few best practices for designing infographic content. For example, the best infographics follow the principles of color theory, which creates contrasting colors with the help of the color wheel. A great example of this is the Burger King logo, which contrasts red, yellow, and blue to make the colors pop.
If you don’t have extensive experience in color theory, consider asking someone who knows logo design and UX design to review your visuals. They can point out any blurring colors or issues understanding the content that you didn’t notice.
4. Develop a plan to promote your infographic design.
If you hire infographic designers to put together your slides, ask them for advice when it comes to promotion and sharing graphic designs on social media. Some companies hire PR agencies when they release new infographic designs because these companies can make sure the visual show up in customer timelines.
You will also want to make sure your blog gets the SEO benefits of keyword targeting and promotion so your site continues to get traffic and benefit from your efforts long after you hit the publish button.
5. Include your company logo.
If your data storytelling captivates audiences and makes your graphics go viral on social media, make sure your brand is represented in what people share. Include your logo so people can see that your brand created the graphic or at least curated the data that was used.
If you break up your infographic into digestible bites, add your logo to each image, and consider investing in a logo design that doesn’t take up space while still promoting your brand. Google is a great example of this. Their branding is easily recognizable because of their color scheme and typography, while the multi-colored “G” reminds readers where the data came from.
Infographic design doesn’t need to be complex. You just need to know what your audience wants and present it to them in the best way possible.
