Infographics

Infographics is a category of illustrative art using graphs, maps and diagrams to show the structure of specific phenomena and their scale. Another definition describes infographics as a graphic representation of data, information and knowledge that can quickly and clearly show complex information.

Infographics is therefore any form of image that shows certain information. Moreover, it is an explanatory graphic because it focuses mainly on the graphical explanation of the information.

Characteristics of infographics

  • Infographics (informational graphics) is primarily an illustration of any concept, which would be difficult to describe with words. It serves to present information, data and knowledge in a simple and legible way. It is often used for designing terrain maps, signs and safety boards. Information graphics are also used for editorial and educational purposes. The way information is presented on infographics enables communication between specialists in various fields.
  • Infographics include, among others, weather forecasts presented in newspapers, overview maps and statistical charts. Some publications are entirely based on information graphics. Infographics are increasingly used thanks to a unique attribute, namely the ability to present extensive, difficult information in a transparent way. In addition, they present them in a memorable way.
  • Infographics make it possible to discover cause and effect relationships. It is designed to present a huge amount of information in a simple and easy to understand way. It also communicates messages and messages. Infographics also allows periodic monitoring of changes in some parameters.
  • Moreover, it presents them in a way that is very well remembered. Infographics relate to many fields, from science and technology to culture and society. Infographics are also used as an effective form of advertising.
  • What image do we remember best? Colorful, dynamic, emotional, exaggerated, funny. It is worth following these principles when creating infographics.

Questions you need to ask yourself before you can create an infographics book

Before you start to create an infographics, you should answer a few basic questions:

Why?
This is the most important question: why do I want to create an infographic? What is it for and what is its purpose? It is also necessary to think about the nature of the infographic, what data do we have and what do we want to achieve? Are you sure infographics is the best means – maybe it is better to choose an article, a video, a podcast, a photo, a picture, an image, a conversation or any other way of conveying information?

For whom?
This is the second most important question: for whom do I create infographics? What abilities and limitations does my recipient have? What does he think? What can I do to get the infographics to hit his point of view?

How?
The next step is to think about how we want to present the data. After processing the data, we have to choose the most effective and effective type of infographics.

Has the effect been achieved?
The last step is to answer the question whether the result of the work is consistent with the assumption. Before ‘letting go’ of the infographics into the world, it is worth to show it to a few people and listen to their comments on it.

The process of creating infographics

Infographics are created in a similar way to other graphics and dashboards – starting with a pencil and a blank sheet. A very good idea is to draw a plan, how the whole infographics should look like, what the individual elements should represent. Let’s also prepare a skeleton by grouping the information together. Visualize the flow of information using diagrams.

The priority when creating an effective infographics is to choose the right layout, color palette and texture. Even if we have a great idea, but the infographics will not be correct, it will be difficult to read our intentions. Changing colours and reducing the size of less important elements and enlarging the more important ones can lead us to create a very good infographics.

Remember that infographics should have a captivating title that tells you what the infographics are about. All infographics must be supported by certain data. After collecting all the information concerning the infographics, you should choose only the most important ones. It is also important to determine the target group to which our infographics is addressed – this is also how we determine the complexity of a given infographic.

The source of data should also be indicated. If the infographics consists of several lines of text, it is worth highlighting the key words in color, font size or bold. Another key element is the graphic design. With its help, often incomprehensible data will be presented in an attractive and entertaining form. Design consists of icons, mini graphics, color palette, format, fonts and other graphic elements.

Breakdown of infographics by perspective

Data perspective

Infographics are excellent tools for communicating complex information in a clear and easy-to-understand way. Infographics include graphs, diagrams, maps, tables and lists. Frequently used charts are bar graphs or column charts, which allow us to summarize and present statistical information. Below you will find infographics based on statistical data.

The perspective of time

Infographics in which the visual representation of data (information and events) embedded in time is performed utilise time axes. The sequence of events shall be presented chronologically along a vertical or horizontal axis which enables the temporal relationships to be understood.

Process perspective

Process-based infographics can usually be viewed in factories or offices. They illustrate the process. This type of infographics is often found in recipes, for example, which are presented by means of a recipe.

The perspective of the place

The application of geography and location-based infographics is very broad, from simple school maps to complex astronomical graphics.

Such infographics include lines – used to describe e.g. streets, roads, etc., icons, symbols – used to identify landmarks such as hospitals, schools, etc., diagrams, arrows, tables, and dots. In this kind of infographics, a very important element is the scale determining the relationship between the presented objects and reality.

The perspective of humor

Such infographics often contain popular memes or other visualizations, the aim of which is to achieve a humorous reception.

These can be graphics about popular Halloween costumes. Further examples of such graphics are those concerning the future predicted in films and the comparison of commercials to reality.

Tools for self-preparation of infographics

Tableau Public

A free version of the Business Intelligence tool described in previous articles. The program allows you to create an interactive visualization based on an imported data source. Visualization usually takes the form of various charts, tables and cartograms. The results of the work can be published on Tableau servers.

Wordle

A simple application for creating infographics. By its creators it is called “a toy to make clouds out of words”, because the effect of the work is a cloud, which consists of words chosen by the author.

Infographics are created by selecting the “create” option on the home page and then pasting or typing in the words to be contained in the cloud. If you repeat any of the words, the application will distinguish them by their larger size or bold. After generating the graphics, you can change the layout, font, colors and other parameters.

Canva

Allows you to create a variety of graphic designs, including charts, banners, infographics, business cards and invitations. No specialist knowledge or experience is needed to design. The program is free of charge and available in Polish. A big advantage is the application for mobile devices.

Easel.ly

An effective and easy to use application. After logging in, we can use 15 free infographic templates, which we can edit and change. We also have the ability to create your own template from the available elements. All graphic elements are added on a “catch and drop” basis.

Vizialize.me

The application is used to create a visual CV. The easiest way to create a CV is to log in to the application through an account on the LinkedIn portal. The program will retrieve the most important data from the profile and convert it into a graphic version.

You can also log in as a standard from the application level – all the necessary data must be entered manually. In the basic version we have at our disposal 6 layouts and 6 color palettes, all motifs are editable. We have the ability to export ready-made infographics to PDF format and share on social networking sites.

Pictochart

Offers two versions: newer and older. Both versions are available with different themes. In the previous version we can find 6 templates, which we can modify ourselves. The operation is intuitive – the parameter is changed by clicking on the object and choosing the option we are interested in.

In the newer version we can also find 6 templates for editing (2 of them are also available in the older version, 4 are completely new). There is a possibility of using the platform for a fee. After paying the subscription fee we have access to hundreds of templates and graphics.

Venngage

An online application that allows you to create and publish your own infographics, engage observers and measure results. The tool is very helpful for creating effective infographics for blogs and websites.

iCharts

Application for the creation of graphs in just a few minutes. It facilitates visualizations and distributes small and large amounts of data.

Dipiths

A free website that allows you to create a professional timeline. Its task is to organize activities according to date and time.