Do’s and don’ts of infographics
In recent years, the trends have swung heavily towards the visual side of marketing. Even WhoAPI created two infographics. One infographic regarding top 1000 domains, and one infographic on top 1000 .me domains.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, when in fact, we are talking about 60,000 words. How come? Statistics show that our brain processes images 60 thousand times faster than text, and it’s not just about being accustomed to processing images – 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual, plus 93% of human communication is visual. Taking all of this into consideration, it is understandable why marketing is slowly turning its focus towards infographic creation.
But how to design an infographic that will aid your brand in devising a strategy that resonates with your audience?
DO keep it to the point
Everything – from content to design. The purpose of the infographic is to summarize information from a longer piece of content, for instance, a blog post, whitepaper, case study, etc. People turn to infographics to get the gist of extensive research, and for this reason, you should focus on including only the most relevant statistics and facts revealed. Avoid full sentences, short but clear bullet points will do the trick.
DO stick to the simple design
Although users are attracted to appealing, unique, and interesting design, simplicity is still the best policy. One simple chart on which you will use contrasting colors has the power to tell a big story. Nevertheless, you have to be careful not to over-clutter one chart, since people claim to be repulsed by poorly formatted and unorganized data. For more effective charts, it’s advisable to create categories that will help you make clear points.
DON’T exclude your creative side altogether
Still, keep in mind that plain excel charts and graphs won’t do the trick. There’s a thin line between boring and totally eccentric, and it’s your job to find the golden ratio. Take advantage of a multitude of online tools which allow you to create interesting pie charts, bar and line graphs – this way you take things to the next level without confusing the user with out-of-this-world graphs.
DO include a surprising twist
The design does play a significant role in attracting readers, but the content of the infographic is what users came for. If you have a surprising piece of information up your sleeve, do include it to make your infographic stand out from the sea of similar ones. This way you will make the readers question their previous beliefs, open their minds to new ideas, fill the gap with new info, and thus easily hold their attention.
DO use visuals wherever possible
One of the basic rules of infographic creation is show, don’t tell. Whenever you have the opportunity to display information visually – take it. This way you will turn raw pieces of content into a visually stimulating and cohesive design that will tell a story, thus, people will be able to simply glance at the image and understand what’s going on.
DON’T forget about typography completely
Still, note that typography has its place and uses. Most of the time, you’ll focus all your creative energy on creating interesting titles and headings, since they are the perfect opportunity to use eye-appealing and –catching font. Interesting headings can visually break the infographic into segments and make the data easy to comprehend.
DON’T use just any color
The perfect choice of the color palette can make all the difference in the world of infographics since it allows you to organize the content and reinforce the topic. Bad color choice can be a real eye-sore, convey the wrong message, and ultimately harm the brand’s image.
The color you are using should match the theme of the website the infographic is intended for and should be neutral enough to suit the tastes of the diverse groups of visitors. There are several basic rules:
- Dominant dark colors don’t translate well on infographics as they are difficult to read
- White background should, as well, be avoided, since infographics are created to be shared across multiple platforms and websites which have plain white backgrounds; obviously, if your white infographic ends up on a white background, it will be difficult to decipher where it begins and ends.
- Three color palettes proved to be easy on the eyes; of the three shades you choose, use the lightest one for the background, and the other two to break the infographic into clear sections. If you feel like you need more colors, then opt for the shades of the initial three you’ve chosen to keep the design cohesive.
Conclusion
The abovementioned rules are the basic rules of infographic creation that serve as a stepping stone; nevertheless, remember that sometimes – rules are meant to be broken. They should guide you, but sometimes, users will respect your creativity, unique techniques, ideas, and standards. But for them to work, you need to gain some experience; after some time passes, dare to improvise based on the knowledge you’ve acquired regarding users’ tastes and likings.
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Amir Noghani is the general manager at <a href=”https://www.seoresellerhub.com.au/”>SEO Reseller</a>. He has a Master’s degree in engineering and is an experienced marketer with more than 7 years in the industry. He has developed rich knowledge and skills in Online Marketing and Public Relations as well as writing journal articles and blogs.
