The Importance of Infographics

Infographics have been gaining popularity and become widely used amongst businesses and organizations in both digital and print. They are a clear, effective and artistic way of presenting information without losing the attention of the viewer. In this fast paced, modern age, people are inundated with information every day and attention spans are decreasing by the second. Unfathomable amounts of data is stored online and organized for analyzing and reporting purposes.

It can be difficult for people to navigate through countless lines of numbers and statistics whether it be online or in an excel sheet. Infographics are used as a powerful tool to allow people to easily digest information through the use of visual data, charts, and statistics. With the proper use of color, proportion, and negative space, information can be transformed into memorable, attention-grabbing and even persuasive graphics.

Important things to remember when designing infographics:

• Be Simple. The point is to condense a lot of data and design a visual solution to interpret it. The design should allow the viewer to easily navigate around the information without being confused. Less is more. Leave “breathing room” for the eye and limit the use of colors. By sticking to a palette of 3-4 colors the design will not get too busy.
• Be Universal. Universal design is important so that information can be accessible to everyone. By using recognizable icons and images an infographic will be understood by many. It is safe to assume that not only savvy internet users recognize most icons. Infographics can take on a language of their own by delivering information in an accessible way.
• Be Original. Whether it be an important political issue, a sales report, or marketing content, each infographic design should be original. Through the creative use of color, proportion, fonts, images, and text, the design should be unique and grab the attention of viewers. Maintain a cohesive aesthetic with the subject matter and brand image of the organization. Start with a mood board to capture the tone of the message or purpose.

Not a graphic designer?

There are some great resources out there for creating infographics on your own:
Visual.ly
PiktoChart
Adobe Kuler (Color Palettes)

You can draw inspiration from these amazing infographics:

https://lemonly.com/blog/best-infographics-right-now

https://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design-tips/information-graphics-1232836