How I create an infographic

What is an infographic anyway?

Infographics combine great, modern design with complex numerical data, making it easier to read and understand thanks to the visualization of data.

"For humans, visual perception is the primary means of absorbing information. Texts must first be understood and then classified according to their content. Infographics have advantages here by presenting the factual information to the human brain in a prepared form." – Wikipedia

How I create an infographic

Usage

First, it's important to understand what the infographic will be used for. The format or size, resolution (300 dpi for print, 72 dpi for "normal" screens, 300 dpi for Retina screens), and colors (CMYK for print, RGB for screens) depend on the intended use. Furthermore, the intended audience of the infographic plays a crucial role. An infographic for end customers (B2C) requires a different design or style than one for business partners (B2B). If the infographic is being created for a specific company, it's important to keep the company's corporate design in mind. It's certainly a good idea to request the corporate design manual.

Structure

After briefing the client, I organize the data and divide it into groups. These data groups are represented as separate stations (or "islands") in the infographic. It's important to understand the relationships and find links between the individual data groups. The logical order of the data groups determines the structure of the entire infographic. I also first sketch the infographic on paper to determine the optimal design for each station on the infographic. This also gives me a feel for the size and arrangement of individual stylistic elements.

Colors

I think it's important to develop a color scheme. A design only truly makes sense if it's based on a concept. For example, different data groups can be assigned separate colors. Or percentages can be highlighted with a special font and color. The color scheme depends largely on the topic, intended use, and target audience of the infographic. I choose around five to eight suitable colors that harmonize and complement each other well. Depending on the intended use (digital or print), I choose CMYK, RGB, or solid colors if the client explicitly requests them. Visual patterns can also be used to spice up the design. But be careful, patterns should be used extremely sparingly to avoid making the design appear cluttered.

Shapes

Shapes also require a pattern that runs through the entire infographic and should, of course, fit the topic. Incidentally, according to a study, data presented in round shapes is easier to remember. This can be helpful, for example, for calls to action (e.g., "buy now").

Photos

Infographics with photos keep popping up. Incorporating an illustration into a photo might look nice, but a photo into an illustration? That's a bit creepy and also distracting in a negative way. The eye is always looking for recognition in reality and tries to focus on the photo. The surrounding infographic then becomes less important. Mixing infographics and photos should therefore be approached with extreme caution, and I strongly advise against it.

One more tip at the end

I always create infographics in a vector program (such as Adobe Illustrator). This ensures unlimited scaling without pixelation, giving me the full range of design possibilities. I've heard of graphic designers who create infographics in Adobe Photoshop. Limited design options, almost no customizable design elements, and pixelation when enlarged make Photoshop a no-go for creating infographics. An infographic must always be created in a vector program!