How to create an eye-catching infographic

One of the biggest mistakes we see with infographics is overcrowding them. The whole purpose of an infographic is that it’s clear and simple in what it’s trying to say. This starts with working with a good copywriter to make sure that the messaging is straightforward and to the point. You should simplify your message as often as you can, without oversimplifying to the point where the original message gets lost. And if including complex terms is absolutely necessary to your infographic, you can always clarify your meaning by using helpful call-out boxes.

When it comes to the layout and overall look and feel of your infographic, this is where good design practice comes into play. This involves things like sticking to colour palettes and not overstuffing it with visuals. You should also make sure that the overall design is accessible to your audience – check out our guidance on how to do this here.

While numbers and figures often play a key role in infographics, the context of how they’re presented is crucial. An infographic’s main purpose is to inform, so it’s very important that your data is accurate and presented in a way that isn’t misleading. ­

Quite often the data you’ll be presenting in an infographic will be taken from external sources. So it’s very important to make sure firstly that your sources are trustworthy, and secondly that they’ve been cited in your document for reference.

Whether your infographic is aimed at customers or employees, what’s important is knowing precisely who your infographic is aimed at - and keeping them in mind as you create it.

Equally important is considering what your audience will be using it for. Is it meant as an educational resource? Is it a step-by-step guide? Or is it meant as part of a training exercise? Whatever the case, your infographic should clearly indicate what your audience will gain from reading it.

Infographics by nature should be simple and succinct, so they don’t have a lot of real estate to work with. How you use the available space is vital, so any visuals you’re including will need to add value in some way. For example, bar charts and graphs make it much easier for your audience to make data comparisons. And maps are very useful if your infographic includes location-based information.

But good infographics don’t just use the ‘right’ visuals. They also use them in the right place, and in the right way. This ties in to making sure that your infographic follows a clear layout, and that the information is set out in a way that is compatible with screen readers from an accessible design point of view.

Whilst we hope this checklist provides a helpful tool, it’s important to remember that creating a great infographic isn’t something that just happens overnight. You’ll likely need to enlist the help of a professional copywriter and graphic designer to make sure that you’re creating something that will capture your audience’s attention in the right way.

If you’re looking for support with communicating a complex message to your audience in a simple way, we’d love to help. Get in touch with a member of our team today and we’ll be happy to chat through your project together.