What Makes a Memorable Infographic?
Below is a quick guide to creating a simple yet memorable infographic like this one to the right from MSM Software.
You can see the full example here: Your walkthrough guide to software project failure infographic
• Creating a Narrative
• Prioritising Data
• Making a Metaphor
• Illustrating the Obvious
• Testing
So wasn’t the point of inf
Have Infographics Become too Complex?
Infographics to present us with easy-to-read, digestible chunks of information in an interesting and visually enticing format? It seems that many infographics are becoming so complicated that I’d rather read a chunk of well-written copy. Yes, information can be beautiful but it also needs to educate readers and remain in their minds long after they forget about the flashy design.
Infographics are a great way of visualising data when they are done correctly. However, as everyone jumps on the infographics bandwagon, more and more seem to be focusing on creating complex artistry rather than making a comprehensible resource. Infographics can be visually stunning but if they are not conveying the message you want them to. They need to be educational tools as well as being aesthetically pleasing enough to share and link to.
Simplifying Your Infographics
The truly memorable and most shared infographics are the ones that strike the balance between education and design. After looking at some of the most popular infographics online, here are a few top tips for simplifying your infographics and creating kick-ass infographics that look great and really get your message across to your audience. We have included some examples of fairly straight-forward infographics that are highly effective and visually appealing.
Create a Narrative – Infographics need to be memorable if you want to make an impact on your readers. The best way to do this is to create a narrative within your infographics. Narratives have been used for thousands of years to help humans remember vital information. Create a story within the design that is relevant to your niche and focus. Here is a great example of where an infographic has been used to tell a story.
Narrative Infographic: How businesses are making friends on Facebook @GetAmbassador
Prioritise the Data – Creating a hierarchy of data will help your readers to visualise which data you deem most important. Bolder, larger fonts and graphics are a simple way of highlighting the key points you want to get across.
Prioritising Data Infographic: How Mobile Is Being Used in 2023 @MilagroFM
Say it with Metaphors –Infographics are particularly useful when trying to convey an important message that is difficult to comprehend. One method for explaining the complex is to use metaphors. The element of surprise is always a good way to create memorable infographics. Execute the unexpected by looking for metaphors that people may not have associated with your niche before to stand out from the crowd. Here an infographic uses the metaphor of a fight to describe the relationship between social and search.
Metaphoric Infographic: Social vs. Search Infographic @MDGadvertising
Illustrate the Obvious – However, some infographics take it too far when it comes to using metaphors. If something is easily explainable, illustrate the obvious instead of confusing the reader further. Don’t shy away from simply translating data into graphics that readers would naturally associate with key terms.
Clear Illustrations Infographic: Social Networking Bill of Rights (BackgroundCheck.Org)
Test It – Are you sure that your infographic is readable enough for your target market? The best way to find out how memorable your infographics will be is to test them. Look at the response for different versions of your infographic and split test it online. Select the infographic that proves most successful in generating social shares, links and comments.
If you are looking to create simple yet effective infographics, there are some fantastic infographic creator websites out there which are completely free to use at the basic level. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create simple yet effective infographics, Piktochart and Infogram are easy to use and sign-up is free.
To find out more, talk to The WebMarketing Group today. Alternatively, find us on Pinterest to see our own latest infographics.
