According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an infographic (or information graphic) is “a visual representation of information or data” using imagery, charts, and minimal text that provide an easy-to-understand overview of a topic, even a complex subject.
Maybe you need to create an infographic for a school project or presentation. Or perhaps you want to embed one on your blog or use it for marketing purposes. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” as they say. Whatever your objective, it pays to understand what a well-designed infographic structure should look like.
A good infographic is clear, memorable, visually appealing and textually concise. It should have a beginning, middle, and end. Tell a story with your graphics, include plenty of blank space so it’s not too crowded, and add a call-to-action or take-away that’s easy to spot. For data visualization, be sure to include charts and graphs where you can.
The five parts of an infographic are:
- Headline or title
- Beginning or introduction
- Middle or main content
- End or conclusion
- Sources and footnotes
An effective infographic includes:
- High quality graphics
- Current and relevant data
- Good organization and flow
- A balance of text and illustration
- A compelling “hook” or call to action
The infographic’s shareable nature leads to the possibility of going viral through social sharing. However, most search engines don’t recognize the value of infographics and just treat them as a picture. That’s why it’s good to include an introduction that highlights the main points of your graphic in text form.
The size of your infographic will depend on the platform you’re sharing it on. For most websites and blogs, the best size is about 600 pixels wide x 1800 pixels long. For a Facebook post, aim for 1200 x 628 pixels. For Twitter, make it 1200 x 675 pixels. If you’re sharing an image on Instagram, it should be 1080 x 1080 pixels square. On Pinterest, a good size is 600 x 900 pixels.
The infographic below was professionally designed by Easelly, a simple infographic maker tool that lets you visualize any kind of information.
Bookmark this page as a quick reminder for the next time you want to create your own infographic. 🙂