Key recipes for killer infographics

10/04/2023

With Kevin Van Lierde

FRIDAY SESSION #64

@Cleverwood

#FridaySession

What’s in a name

Noun: Infographic, (plural –s)etymology: info[rmation] + graphic

1. Visual representation of information

They have been around for a while

Text 1• Text 2

Text 3• Text 4

They have evolved

Some examples

You’ve seen ‘em, more often than you might think

In biological encyclopedia’s

Geographical encyclopedia’s too…

In resumes, why not..

On planes sometimes…

Traits & Benefits of infographics

Why they are so popularWITH READERS

The data overload situation: More & faster

Short attention spans Data clutter Time is precious

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”

Easier & faster to interpret

Road closed to vehicles in both directions

VS.

10 ms 2s

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

Literally

VS.

The aim of infographics

Slicing big overwhelming data into

comprehensible chunks to make it more

accesible and inviting, and provide

entertainment along with information.

Traits & Benefits of infographics

Why they are popularWITH PUBLISHERS

They are easy to share & embed

They have mad ROI

Types of infographics

It depends on your data & goals

The ‘Number crunch’ Infographic

Impressive numbers Maps, diagrams, emphasized numbers Doesn’t need to be über-creative, easiest

to produce

The ‘Number crunch’ Infographic

Alternative Paralympic statistics

The ‘Number crunch’ Infographic

The Comparative (versus) Infographic

2 (or more) characters or concepts that people care about

Differences & similarities Humor & stylized design

The Comparative (versus) Infographic

The Comparative (versus) Infographic

The Photographic Infographic

Quality photo Simple, good design Most compelling if well-thought

The Photographic Infographic

The Photographic Infographic

The Useful Bait

Useful, relevant content Straightforward design, usability first Print in mind Cheat sheets, How to’s, …

The Useful Bait: ‘cheat sheet’

Cooking methods Cheat sheet

The Useful Bait: Real-life example

The Flow Chart

Process display, choices Humor Simplicity is key

The Flow Chart

Which wine fits your needs best?

The Flow Chart: Real life example

Jbc T-shirt, Borlée Brothers Collection

The Timeline

Chronological data, evolution Needs an engaging story Take the reader “on a trip”

The Timeline

Timeline of coffee history

The Visualized Article

Most suitable for lots of text content Often used offline (magazines,

newspapers) Engaging story, supportive visuals

The Visualized Article

From TIME Magazine

The Visualized Article

The Data Visualization

Content: connections, anything Visualize as: maps, mindmaps, creative

metaphors Requires a creative and comprehensible

approach

The Data Visualization

Population density in the US,Time Magazine

The Data Visualization: Real life Example

London Underground, 1933 by Harry Beck, electrical draughtsman

The Interactive Infographic:

13 reasons your brain craves infographics Ideal for displaying large amount of data More engaging

Production of infographics

Methods, cost, time

Production Methods: Custom Design

Most (very) expensive (Semi-)Professional agencies Graphic software Specifically tailored to your needs

Production Methods: Online tools

Infogr.am (infogr.am)

Piktochart (piktochart.com) => Best Pick

Venngage (venngage.com)

Easel.ly (easel.ly)

Visual.ly (visual.ly) => Best Pick

Canva (canva.com)

EWC Presenter (ewcpresenter.com)

Production time

1 day - months

Production cost

Online tools: • Free • Monthly subscription (5 - 100€ / month)• Freemium (premium items for fixed

price)

Custom Design:• Static | € 400 – € 25000• Interactive | € 5000 – …

Building your own infographic

Before you start

Define a clear aim for your infographic: persuasive? Informative? Comparative?

Step 1: Research, gather, transform Data

Building your own infographic

Step 2: Draft, concept, build storyline

Building your own infographic

Find appropriate visual metaphors

Is local food bad for the economy?www.macleans.ca

Find appropriate visual metaphors

Find a descriptive, engaging title

The fatal consequences of illegal drug dealing

The best options for indoor plant lovers

Data Building blocks

Geometric shapes – lead the eyes & provide structure

Charts & Diagrams – Visually represent data

Icons – clarify words Images – add value

Build a storyline with a logical flow

Create a

confusing

Flow that

Create a

Logical flow

That is easy to follow

Is hard to

understand

Build a storyline with a logical flow

Build a storyline with a logical flow

Choose a focal point (if possible)

Charts: When to use which one?

Matrix→ Comparison of many items & many categories

Donut chart→ Simple share of total (max 2-3 parts), often in %

Pie chart→ Simple share of total (max 5-7 parts)

Column chart→ Comparison of a few items (1 category)

Bar chart→ Comparison of many items (1-2 categories)

Step 3: Design & publish

Building your own infographic

Basic infographic structure

HEADER

BODY

FOOTER

ENGAGING TITLE + VISUALSUBTITLE/ SHORT DESCRIPTION

BLOCK 1Visualized data & copy

BLOCK 2Visualized data & copy

BLOCK 3Visualized data & copy

Disclaimer Publisher’s mention

Sources

“Fancy is nice, clear is better”

Don’t sacrifice usability for design

Circular is fancy, linear is clear

Visual History of Google Algorythm changes, by MOZ & Hubspot

Basic Design Principles

Lines & simple shapes Whitespace & balance Color Typography

Lines & simple shapes

IT’S an infographic, not a

comic strip

Lines & simple shapes

Structure sections with shapes (essentially rectangles) and lines

Whitespace & balance

IT’S an infoGRAPHIC, not a

TEXTgraphic

Whitespace & balance

Leave enough space for the design to breathe

Whitespace & balance

Color

It’s an infographic, n

ot a children’s

coloring book

Color

Work with a limited color palette to ensure consistency

Typography classification basics

Sans-serif & Slab serif Often safe

Serif Safe for titles, use with caution for body text

Stylized (script, gothic) Use with caution

Comic Sans Don’t you dare

The importance of typography

Now it’s our turn

Testing it on Piktochart

See you next Friday Session

10/04/2023

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