Over the last few months, we have received a huge amount of questions as to what makes a great infographic and how you can stand out from the crowd. We did some research and found a great article by Eloqua – What Makes a Great Infographic — that collected some expert opinions on the topic that we just loved. We also sprinkled more tips and tricks from other sources that should serve you well.
So What Makes a Great Infographic?
Infographics support focused data with good design to tell a shareable story in a clear and concise manner – Three rules to great infographics: 1. compelling data, 2. rich graphics, 3. viral title. via @funnelholic
1. Focused data:
- Use relevant data
- Use reputable sources
- Fact-check – if the data you’re working with is untrustworthy, than your infographic will be too,” – Tiffany Farrant-Gonzalez
- Only use data relevant to your infographic’s message – A great infographic allows the viewer to grasp the implications of big data. via @Stevology
- Credit your sources
2. Clear design
(Great infographics) in one word: clarity. via @AdamSinger
- Limit your colour palette
- Use simple graphics that that tie to your data
- Use data visualizations that most clearly illustrates the data (only 53% of infographics use data visualizations) (x)
- Convey the message at a glance – take a lot of data, or a number of concepts, and boil it down to one image.” via @mvolpe
- Establish a connection between sections (good infographics utilize the hierarchy of information)
- Make sure the graphics and numbers match
- Limit width to 735 pixels (it’s the standard)
- Anything over 5000 pixels tall will lose attention – “Too many infographics now are too darned big.” via @TDefren
3. Shareable story
- Answer an interesting question to grab audiences – A good infographic starts with a good ‘why’ question. via @ConversationAge
- Use rational data to elicit an emotional response (infographics attract almost 450% more “actions” than typical posts) (x)
- Graphics should tell the story – A great infographic tells a meaningful story in an instant. via @Jowyang
- Use as little text (as possible) in a clear font – If your infographic is supplemented with 1,000 words, you’ve missed the mark. via @mikemacfarlane
- Make the file as small as possible (compressed .jpeg) without sacrificing fidelity
- Don’t forget to sign it with an embed code
Further Reading:
- Top 30 Viral Infographics – Visual.ly
- Traffic Impact Of Infographics [Infographic] – BitRebels
- 7 Super Tips for Creating Powerful Infographics – Entrepreneur
- 6 Tips for Creating Mind-blowing Infographics – imediaconnection