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Top Tips from Experts on What Makes a Great Infographic

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:

vernons:
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