What are the best practices for using infographics in your designs? (2024)

In my experience with infographic design, defining my audience comes as the second step. The first step of creating a good infographic is to define clearly the communication goal or why you want to design your infographic. As a data scientist or data analyst maybe your goal is to report on data and turn them into a meaningful story, you know sometimes spreadsheets are boring or you want to visualize a process of production cycle of products. Whatever your goal is, it will determine how you are going to lay out the data in your infographic. Knowing your audience and the level of knowledge they have on the topic will determine what data will be used and the level of detail needed to explain the topic

Infografia é uma das áreas do design mais belas e significativas. Os infográficos precisam acima de tudo FACILITAR a visualização e entendimento de dados. Pense na sua inforgrafia como um sistema, mais do que ilustrar cada parte dos dados, e colocar incones ou ilustrar os dados, pense qual estrutura visual pode ajudar a ter: HIERARQUIA (o que vamos ler primeiro e depois) RITMO (quando paramos respiramos qual informação merece mais tempo) SINCRONIA (como os dados se relacionam entre si) e FACILIDADE (como consulto uma informação pontual de forma eficaz)

Translated

As any design project an infographic starts with a problem. How to make some information easily understandable for a specific group of people.It is a very good way to present information in a way that people understand a topic easily. Knowing your audience will determine the visual resources, metaphors or tropes you will use in order to explain the subject effectively. I would suggest designers always to start with the storytelling in writing and from there build the visual element of the infographic.

When using infographics in designs, it's crucial to prioritize clear communication by keeping the content concise, organized, and easy to understand. Maintain visual hierarchy to highlight key points, ensure simplicity to prevent overwhelming the viewer, and strive for consistency in style and branding. Incorporate relevant icons, illustrations, and data visualizations to enhance comprehension, and leave ample white space for improved readability. Design with responsiveness in mind for optimal viewing across devices, and seek feedback to refine the infographic's effectiveness and visual appeal. Finally, properly source any external data or information used to add credibility and avoid copyright issues.

Choosing the right type of infographic comes as step 4 after selecting the right data to present. This is the step where a lot of data scientists or analysts get stuck. We should make sure data the data gathered supports our goals and is right for the audience. After this process, then I choose the right type of infographic based on the data I have and the level of knowledge of my audience.

I like this part, when I am training people, I call it " sketching out your creativity". this step encourages creating a logical hierarchy in the data gathered. I suggest that it is important to create the structure on the paper so that you have an overview and switch data around without much of a hassle.

In visualizing the data, much attention should be on those 3 components of infographics. the first component is the contents element (statistics, time frame, and reference). The second component is the visual element (color, graphics, image, and reference icons). Then, the last point here is Knowledge elements that display facts. A combination of all those components makes a killing infographic.

If you're anything like me, you're a designer, so you're a visual person. How would you like to see the data if someone handed this to you? What would make sense to pull out of text and create a visual for? What visuals would enhance the data you're calling out (this could be as simple as a photo)? You don't need a chart for everything or it will be overwhelming, but would a chart make sense for something to immediately draw your eye there? Use a strategic color pallet to lead your eye around the infographic as well.

Show is more and simplicity always wins. Infographics make information accessible and user-friendly, even those with limited data literacy can understand

When it comes to infographics, credibility is important. Not only does correctly mentioning sources increase the information's credibility, but it also enables readers to explore the data in greater detail. Toensure accuracy, it's essential to rely on trustworthy sources like official statistics and scholarly studies. In addition to being transparent, providing references promotes a culture of information sharing.

No only you should do it as part of crediting the source, but as the nature of infographics is to explain a subject fast and easy, if a person wants to know more, you are giving them the opportunity to know more.