Guest Post: Tips for Making a Great Infographic

Posted by Nicole Rende on Thu, Jun 27, 2013 @ 04:59 PM

Information Graphics, or Infographics, are graphic visual presentations of information, data, or knowledge. These are intended to explain complex information quickly and clearly. This is especially good when trying to explain an internet marketing concept that may be confusing to some.

Follow these seven steps, and you will be able to create the most informational graphics:

1. Edit first

   1. People can sometimes become too attached to their content. They want to include everything they found in their research, but that can get extremely cluttered and make the infographic look sloppy.

One reason this clutter occurs is because people do not clean up their information before they make the infographic and it becomes crammed. It is a good idea to do the layout first and this will give you an idea of how much information you need to throw out.

1. Break your content into sections

   1. Breaking down your content into three or five sections makes your graphic easier to follow. Making an outline with each section title will help you organize your thoughts better. Another good way to break down your content is into a mind map. There are many websites that will help you with these mind maps.

2. Organize your layout

   1. Use grid lines to layout your design. This will allow you to carve into the space. Do not have too many lines, like graph paper, but not less than four. A good medium is about seven lines. You want to leave enough space to make your design.

3. Keep it simple

   1. Keep the layout simple and logical. The goal of the design should be to lead the reader easily through the information. You want to lead their eye through the design. Being too creative can often lead to clutter and be fatal for easy navigation. The easiest way of navigation is to start your graphic at the top left hand side and end at the bottom right.
   2. Make the topic’s main point the largest element
      1. For most marketing tactics, you want to grab someone’s attention and give them a quick idea for what the content is about. In this case, you want to make sure the infographic’s idea is the biggest part of the graphic. Make sure you have enough content in this section to justify its size.

4. Keep type simple

   1. Using fonts like Comic Sans and Papyrus can cause laughter and reduce the level of your graphic’s credibility. It is hard to choose the correct font, so when you are in need of some help, just use Helvetica or Arial and use an array of sizes and weights. The headline is always going to be the largest because that is where you want people’s eyes to go first. Keep the text black and leave color for the graphics.

5. Use color for good reason

   1. Do not use every single color in your infographic. Make sure to keep the color minimal by following a few simple steps. Make sure you color the less important parts a muted color and use one or two bright colors to accentuate where you want the readers eyes to go. Consider your company’s brand when choosing a color scheme. Lastly, you want all your palette colors to blend well together. You can find color families by searching the web for similar search terms.

When you are preparing to explain something rather confusing to others, making an infographic can be the best way to relay that information. Just make sure that you follow the above seven steps and you will have an amazing infographic.
Written by Nicole Rende from Ethical SEO Consulting

Greg Sherwood is CEO of DBC Digital, a marketing agency based in Denver, Colorado.  With over 30 years of marketing experience with traditional and inbound (internet) marketing, Greg helps mid-sized businesses get a better return on their marketing dollars.  

You can reach Greg at (303) 357-5757 or at dbc@dbcdigital.com