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MODULE 9: CREATING INFOGRAPHICS

FOR SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS
Overview

Nearly two-third of the population are visual learners, which means it’s important to put a heavy
emphasis on showing, not telling.

An infographic is the perfect way to visually represent important data and information so that your
audience has a greater chance of understanding and retaining it.

And the best way to do that is with an infographic design guide. Infographics can communicate
information in a condensed and highly visual way—when designed well. Here's one example:

The problem is that for every well-made infographic published, there are a handful of poorly
produced infographic designs circling the web.

Poorly designed infographics can skew and obscure information, rather than make it easier to
understand.

Objectives
At the end of this module, learners are expected to:

• Understand the importance of using infographics;

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• Identify the different guidelines and best practices in creating an effective

infographic;
• Create his own infographic design for social change.

Creating a beautiful and effective infographic design isn't hard, it just takes a basic understanding
of infographic design best practices.

Plan your infographic design

Find a story,In every set of data there's a story. Before you begin designing your infographic,
think of the story you are trying to tell. The angle you choose will help you determine which
information to include.

For example, this infographic design tells the story of completing a project from start to finish:

Because infographics allow for limited space for content, the purpose of your infographic should
be focused. That's why the layout of your infographic should not only reflect the theme of your
information, but also enhance the communication of it.

Create an infographic outline

Before diving into your design, create an infographic outline. In your outline, include your headers,
data, and any design details you don't want to forget.

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Write a compelling title

Come up with a title that is catchy and descriptive. Readers should get a sense of what the
information will be, to engage them and make them want to read further.
Use a grid design or wireframe for your infographic design

Grids and wireframes are the structural base to any design. Designing on a grid allows you to
easily organize elements and information. Grid designs also play an essential role in keeping
objects and elements aligned.

For example, when aligning items, you can reference the same vertical grid line and then space
each list item accordingly.

The below example shows how color palettes are aligned on a graphic design grid. The
Venngage editor also has the option of using "smart guides" which help align items for you
automatically, without using a grid design tool:

For your infographic design, use a grid design system to create margins. It's good practice to keep
enough space in between your elements and the edge of your canvas to avoid visual tension.

An infographic design can potentially have any size of margin you desire but it's important to keep
the margin consistent all the way along the edge of your canvas.

A good rule of thumb is to keep all objects and elements at least 20px (one square on the grid)
away from the edge of the canvas.

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Use the right infographic layout for your data

For example, you could use a one column layout for a minimal infographic, or create a list
infographic by spitting the layout into two columns, like in these examples:

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Here's an example of a two-column infographic design:

Follow data visualization best practices

Always start your infographic planning with pen and paper. This way, you can work through
concepts and designs roughly before finalizing a digital copy.

Choose the best chart types for your data

The type of data you are trying to convey will determine which chart type is the best for your data.
To decide which type of chart would best convey your data, you first have to determine what kind
of data you want to present: a single important number? A comparison between data points? A
trend over time? An outlier?

The types of charts most commonly used in infographics are pie chart, bar graphs, column graphs,
and line charts. For example, a column graph is one of the easiest ways to compare data.

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And to convey a trend over time, the most common type of chart to use is a line chart.

But if you think of a more unusual chart that would convey the data effectively, don't be afraid to
get more creative. For example, you can identify and show the trends such as sales over time,
correlations such as sales compared temperature or outliers such as sales in an unusual area.

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A good rule of thumb is that your charts should be easy enough to read that it only takes
readers ten second or less to understand.

Incorporate different infographic design elements

Typography

Typography is a very important element for infographic design and your one way to
explain your ideas and information when images, graphs or icons can’t. That's why it's
important to choose the best font for your data.

That being said, try to limit the amount of text you include on your infographic. The best
infographics have visual impact, with the text acting as a secondary explanation for the
visual content.

This infographic design relies on icons, dates and headers, with minimal explanatory text:

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First and foremost, make sure your type is legible. In most cases, avoid decorative or script type
as it tends to be hard to read.

If you have to use small text or an or an elegant font, use it sparingly. It always helps to increase
the line height of bodies of small text if it starts to become hard to read.

To keep infographic designs cohesive, limit your use of fonts to a maximum of three types, but
also don’t stick with just one. A tasteful use of two brand fonts can create a nice dynamic and
hierarchy of information.

Alternatively, a number or statistic in one font type next subtext in another creates a hierarchy of
information:

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Use photography in your infographic design

The use of photography can be tricky if there is not a photographer available to take the shots of
exactly what you need. Be sure that the photos you use have a consistent style and lighting. Try
to pick photos with the same lighting effects, same backdrops, same amount of dark areas, etc.
It's important to stick to a certain style as images that clearly don’t fit the set will distract from the
information being communicated.

If you're going for a simple modern use of photography, use only images with flat colour (or white)
backdrops. If you're going for a neutral newspaper approach, use only black and white images.

Photos that take up a majority of space in your infographic, which can distract from information.
This issue can be solved by using a cropping such as circle frames.

Use contrast in your infographic design

Contrast creates visual impact by placing two strikingly different elements beside each
other. If an infographic has a light background with bold colored shapes, our eyes are
immediately attracted to the bold colors. This allows you to organize information by
having a certain element more prominent than another.

Contrast using colors

Color selection can have a big impact on your infographic design.

Try pairing complementary colors to make your headline pop. One of my favourite
combinations is a darker blue with a brighter color like orange which makes your headline
stand out.

Contrast using typography sizes

A header is usually the largest text on an infographic, followed by the subheader and then
the body copy. The header should pretty much always be the largest point size so that the
viewer knows the subject of your infographic right off the bat.

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Contrasting visuals

Use a tinted image contrasted with a chart overtop to add context.

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Create symmetrical and asymmetrical balance

An infographic with visual balance is pleasing to the eyes because everything fits together
seamlessly. A balanced infographic keeps the entire composition cohesive, especially in a long
form infographic.

If there are heavy visuals on the top of an infographic, you should keep the flow going right to the
bottom. There are two types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical.

Symmetrical balance is when each side of the composition has equal weight. This layout is
effective in a comparison infographic like this one:

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Asymmetrical balance is more natural and less uniform than a symmetrical composition. It creates
a more complex relationship between objects. It can make an infographic more dynamic since
the composition is not repeated excessively.

For example, if you are creating timeline infographics, alternate text between both sides of the
timeline for a balanced composition.

Use color effectively

Decide on a color scheme before creating your infographic. A good rule of thumb is to design your
infographic with two or three main colors, and to use minor color accents.

When choosing your color scheme, decide on the tone of your infographic. Is it a business
infographic? If so, try using neutral colors like blue or green, or, of course, your brand colors,
especially if you're including your logo.

For fun, eye popping infographics, use brighter hues, but be careful not to use large amounts dark
or neon colors as they can be straining to the eyes when viewed on the web.

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Color can also be used as a sectional tool. Add blocks of color to section your infographic, giving
the eye some breathing room as viewers scroll down.

Make sure there's consistency in your infographic design

In order for your infographic design to flow from start to finish, the design elements need to be
consistent. If you are using icons that are filled in, rather than line art icons, then keep using the
same style throughout the entire infographic.

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The same goes for the style of images you use, the font style, and the color palette. This will
prevent your infographic from looking cluttered and will actually make it easier to read.

Leave plenty of negative space in your infographic design

Negative space is the blank space surrounding objects in a design. Negative space has a big
impact on your design. If your infographic design is too crowded, it can overwhelm readers and
make it difficult to read the information.

Creating space around the elements in your design allows readers the breathing room to process
the information. Pro tip: if you are using a 16pt size, the line height should be no less than 1.2.

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Leaving negative space can be as simple as making sure there is enough space between lines
of text. Just look at the difference that a little space makes in the example below:

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Practice, practice, practice

This is going to sound cliché, but when it comes designing infographics, it will probably take
your a couple of goes at it to get the hang of it. You will need to figure out what works in a
design and what doesn't.

Luckily, this learning process is made a lot easier by infographic templates and guide. And there
are certainly a lot of examples out there for you to draw inspiration from.

When in doubt, ask someone else to look over your design before you publish it--they will be
able to tell you if there is any information that is unclear, or if there is any way that you could
make your design even better.

Online Resources
• https://youtu.be/uQXf_d5Mgjg
• https://youtu.be/tN8_85gKOTc
• https://youtu.be/lCXFJEK_lVk

References
• https://venngage.com/blog/infographic-design/#1
• https://visme.co/blog/infographic-design-guide/

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