How to Create Infographics to Explain Complicated Concepts

Why Use Infographics?

An infographic is a visual representation of information or data. They’re typically a collection of images, charts, and graphs, along with minimal or simplified text that provides an overview of a topic that is easy for the reader to understand. They can communicate information quickly and clearly that might otherwise require extensive explanation.

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An infographic can grab a reader’s attention and share a lot of information succinctly. They can provide a quick overview of a broad topic and cover a lot of informational bullet points. An infographic can be an effective way to share data or research findings or to compare multiple options.

When you need to explain something that would be difficult—or laborious, or long—to share with words alone, an infographic is an excellent tool.

How to Create an Infographic

When deciding how to visually share your information, follow these steps to create an infographic that is effective and engaging.

Outline Your Infographic’s Goals

Before you get started on an eye-catching design you must first consider the goals for your infographic. Outline what exactly you’re trying to explain or communicate.

Are you trying to share data, explain a concept, or change someone’s mind? Your goal will guide which information you use as well as the way in which you choose to visualize it. Your infographic should leave your intended audience with a specific takeaway.

Once you’ve determined your goal, think of supporting questions your readers might ask that you can answer through your infographic. The goal is to share enough pertinent information without losing interest or confusing your point. This can help you create a framework for telling a compelling story and sharing a complicated concept with ease.

Collect Your Data

An infographic can’t exist without data. If you’re trying to visually explain a complicated concept, you’ll need to consider that concept from an outside perspective. Someone who is unfamiliar with the concept will have a lot of questions and it’s your job to answer them concisely. Collect all the information available to you about the concept and organize it logically.

If the topic you’re explaining has a logical beginning and end, collect your data following this path. Collect all relevant steps, statistics, and percentages that will best help you share your information and explain the concept at hand.

Remember that you may be sharing your graphic with someone who is brand new to your topic. Include enough introductory information so a newcomer will be able to readily understand the concept.

Visualize Your Data

Your next step is to decide how you’re going to visually present your data, based on your goals and your audience.

• To show how trends have changed, use a line chart or timeline.
• Maps can show how data differs by location.
• Reveal complex relationships with scatterplots that highlight two variables at once.
• Organize your data to highlight groups, patterns, order, and rank.
• Use lists, tables, Venn diagrams, and flowcharts to help your readers understand how data is divided and connected.
• Show similarities and differences by comparing data using different types of charts or graphs. Bar graphs compare independent values for single variables. Pie charts can compare parts of a whole.
• Inform your readers about important messages or data points by highlighting them. This information can stand out with bold text, bright colors, and colorful icons and graphics. Simple charts can help illustrate a statistic or percentage to drive home the point.

Create Your Layout

Consider the natural flow of information when choosing your infographic layout. Inform your reader what they’ll learn from your graphic and follow that up with charts and data visualizations that answer a reader’s potential follow-up questions.

You may find that using a grid layout can add structure and help you guide your reader through the information. A single column can share information in a linear fashion from top to bottom. Two columns are great for comparing one set of information against another. If the order of information is less important, consider giving each bullet point its own section to make it stand alone.

Giving your layout a sense of structure will make it more visually appealing and will make it easier for your reader to follow along, especially if you’re sharing a more complicated concept.

Add Some Style

Now that you’ve compiled your data and nailed your layout, it’s time to add a little flair to ensure that your infographic is visually pleasing in addition to being informative. Even though you’re keeping your text simple, you can still have a little fun with different fonts, especially with headers and highlights. Make sure to keep things easy to read.

Color can help tell your story. Choose an eye-catching palette but ensure that your graphic remains simple and readable. An infographic that’s too busy might be hard to follow. You’ll also want to consider your graphics and symbols. Consider breaking up your text with simple shapes and images that match your copy. You can use color to highlight important data or group related information.

A good infographic can explain a complicated concept with relevant data, graphics, and good organizational flow. There are many programs you can use to create them, including Microsoft Powerpoint, which offers endless ways to display and share your data.