Infographics simplify complex information into visuals that are easy to understand and remember. They use charts, colors, and layouts to make data engaging and accessible. Studies show visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, and websites using infographics can increase traffic by up to 12%.

Here’s how to design effective infographics:

• Organize Content: Start with a clear main idea, use headings, and group related info logically.
• Use Colors and Fonts Wisely: Stick to 3–4 colors, ensure strong contrast for readability, and limit font styles to two.
• Pick the Right Chart: Match your data to the best chart type (e.g., bar charts for comparisons, line charts for trends).
• Add White Space: Use spacing to separate sections and avoid clutter.
• Make it Accessible: Ensure designs meet ADA guidelines with tools like color contrast checkers and alt text.

Tools like Canva and Piktochart offer templates for beginners, while professional services like Upwork or Superside can handle complex designs. Whether you DIY or hire experts, focus on clarity, organization, and accessibility to create infographics that connect with your audience.

How to Improve Your Infographic in 5 Easy Steps

Basic Design Principles for Infographics

Strong design elements are key to creating infographics that are both clear and engaging. These principles help ensure your message is communicated effectively.

Creating Clear Visual Flow

A good infographic guides readers smoothly through its content. Visual hierarchy is essential for directing attention and keeping readers engaged. Start by identifying the main focal point, then determine secondary elements, and plan the visual journey from beginning to end.

"Viewers should never have to guess at what to look at next. And in the case of interactive infographics, they should have clear instructions about where to click and what to do."

Use tools like arrows, boxes, and timelines to guide the audience. Group related information into distinct sections to make the narrative easy to follow.

Using Colors and Contrast

Color choices can make or break an infographic’s readability. Poor contrast is a major accessibility issue under ADA guidelines. With over 61 million Americans living with disabilities, including 12 million with vision impairments, this is a crucial consideration.

For better readability:

• Ensure a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for regular text.
• Use a 3:1 contrast ratio for larger text.
• Stick to 3–4 complementary colors in your palette.
• Highlight key points with bright or bold colors.

"Using contrast and hierarchy in your design is incredibly important because it ensures that your design can be understood by the largest audience." – Mordy Golding

Choosing and Using Fonts

Top media outlets put careful thought into their font choices. For example, The Economist uses Econ Sans and Econ Sans Condensed for visualizations, while Bloomberg opts for Neue Haas Grotesk, a modern take on Helvetica.

For effective typography:

• Use sans-serif fonts for body text and data.
• Serif fonts work well for headlines, adding a touch of sophistication.
• Stick to two font families to keep the design cohesive.
• Use bold text sparingly for emphasis.
• Avoid thin fonts unless they are large and paired with high contrast.

Establish a clear font hierarchy: the largest size for headlines, slightly smaller for subtitles, and standard size for body text.

"Typography is two-dimensional architecture, based on experience and imagination, and guided by rules and readability. And this is the purpose of typography: The arrangement of design elements within a given structure should allow the reader to easily focus on the message, without slowing down the speed of his reading." – Hermann Zapf

Layout and Organization Tips

A well-structured layout helps readers easily understand complex information.

Organizing Information Step by Step

Begin with your main idea and build supporting details around it.

Here are some tips for organizing content:

• Define your main message upfront: Place your core idea at the top.
• Break content into clear sections: Use headings and subheadings to guide readers.
• Incorporate visual cues: Use arrows, numbers, or icons to make navigation intuitive.
• Maintain consistency: Use the same visual style throughout for a cohesive look.

"A successfully informative graphic relies upon a strong, clear structure. The underlying structure determines the organisation of the data, controls the flow of the narrative and ensures the integrity of the data remains intact."

When designing for Western audiences, follow the natural reading flow: left-to-right and top-to-bottom. Once your content is logically arranged, focus on spacing to clarify the hierarchy.

Adding Space Between Elements

White space plays a critical role in making content easier to read and understand.

Here’s how to use spacing effectively:

• Keep margins consistent: Uniform margins create a clean look.
• Separate sections clearly: Use enough space to distinguish different sections.
• Group related elements: Ensure internal spacing is consistent within clusters.
• Add larger gaps between unrelated content: This helps readers identify distinct groups of information.
• Balance text and visuals: Avoid overwhelming readers with dense blocks of text.
• Unveil complex details gradually: Present information step-by-step when possible.

"White spaces in visual communication is as important as pauses in public speaking"

These strategies, combined with thoughtful design, make complex information easier to digest.

"Design can organize complex information by establishing hierarchy, grouping related content, and using visual representations like diagrams or charts. Clear navigation and consistency in design elements aid in user comprehension, while whitespace and progressive disclosure prevent overwhelming users."

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Making Data Easy to Understand

Clear visuals are a powerful tool for helping readers understand and remember data. In fact, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text.

Picking the Best Chart Type

Choosing the right chart type can make or break how your data is understood. The ICCOR method is a helpful guide:

Breaking Down Complex Information

Start with the big picture and gradually dive into the details. Here’s how to structure your content effectively:

• Provide a high-level summary first.
• Divide complex topics into smaller, focused sections.
• Use clear, descriptive headings to guide readers.
• Avoid unnecessary technical jargon.
• Add visuals to highlight key points.

For extra clarity, you can use consistent icons to reinforce important ideas.

Using Icons and Images

Once your content is simplified, icons can serve as quick visual cues that help readers navigate and understand the material. Jeremy Elliott, Marketing Communications Manager at Noun Project, explains:
"Icons are the stars of the show in an infographic… They attract attention more than words, but most importantly, they convey meaning and reiterate the themes more immediately than supporting text or data".

Here are some tips for using icons effectively:

• Keep the style and size consistent across all icons.
• Choose icons with similar line weights for a cohesive look.
• Avoid overloading your design with too many icons.
• Make sure each icon is directly tied to the content it represents.

"Icons can be extremely effective when used sparingly in a data visualization. They can help declutter a visualization by reducing the amount of text needed." – Ray Morris, Chief Data Officer at COUNTRY Financial®

Tools for Creating Infographics

You don’t need to be a design expert to create professional-looking infographics. These tools make the process easier and more efficient.

Design Software Options

Infographic tools come packed with features and user-friendly designs. Here’s a quick comparison of some popular options:

Canva, with a valuation of $26 billion as of March 2024, has transformed design with tools like Magic Write and Magic Edit.

"Canva makes it easy for staff to create new designs in a way that maintains brand consistency".

If you’re short on time, pre-made templates can help you get started even faster.

Ready-to-Use Templates

Templates provide a quick starting point. Look for ones that match your content structure and tweak the colors and fonts to align with your brand.

"Piktochart AI is the easiest and fastest way to create visually appealing infographics!".

Designing for Everyone

Creating infographics isn’t just about visuals – it’s also about making them accessible. With 18–26% of Americans living with disabilities, inclusivity should be a priority. Accessible designs ensure everyone can interact with your content.

"We’re probably one of the only or the few that have an accessibility checker that checks everything that WCAG 2.1 requires – everything from color contrast to having the tags and heading logical reading and all of the stuff that is required by law".

Key accessibility features to consider:

• Color contrast checkers to ensure readable text
• Color blindness simulators for testing different visual impairments
• Alt-text capabilities for images
• Logical reading order tools for screen readers
• WCAG 2.1 compliance checkers to meet accessibility standards

"Absolutely delighted to see this progressive work happening! Not only will it help create inclusive design but will raise awareness for accessible communication, fonts, and compliance with regulations! Well done, Venngage!".

Professional Design Services

When your team lacks the resources or expertise, hiring professional services can bridge the gap and improve your infographic designs.

Key Considerations for Choosing a Service

• Look at their portfolio to assess infographic quality.
• Ensure they have strong data visualization skills.
• Confirm they follow accessibility standards.
• Check their ability to work within your brand guidelines.
• Evaluate their turnaround times to meet your deadlines.

Robust Branding: Business Design Services

If you’re a small or medium-sized business looking to establish a solid digital presence, Robust Branding offers a Branding Starter package for $149 per month, which includes custom infographic design.

"We help SMEs build their digital presence and set the right foundations for traffic generation – and closing customers".

What Professional Design Services Can Provide

• Infographics that align with your brand identity
• Formats tailored for multiple platforms
• Clear and effective visual hierarchy
• Accurate and appealing data visualization
• Designs that meet accessibility standards

How to Create a Clear Brief

When working with professional designers, include the following in your brief:

• Details about your target audience
• The main message and objectives
• Your brand guidelines and assets
• Preferences for style and tone
• Specific format requirements
• Deadlines and timeline expectations

Conclusion

Creating effective infographics is about combining clear design principles with smart execution. Visual content has proven to be highly impactful – presentations with visual aids are 67% more persuasive, and scientific claims see acceptance rates jump from 68% to 97% when simple graphs are included.

Here are the key elements that support strong infographic design:

• Visual Clarity and Organization: A clean layout helps audiences process information better. Studies show that proper spacing between elements can improve comprehension by up to 20%. Consistent design elements and thoughtful use of white space can guide viewers naturally through your content.
• Data Visualization Choices: Match your data to the right type of visualization. Bar charts work well for comparisons, while line graphs are great for showing trends. The goal is to make your data easier to understand, not harder.
• Professional-Level Results: While tools like Canva and Visme allow for DIY efforts, more complex projects might require professional design services to achieve the best results.

"Make sure your infographics are both visually appealing (that’s what grabs attention) and easy to follow (that’s what keeps the attention)".

These principles tie together the strategies for design, layout, and data visualization discussed earlier. Businesses that publish infographics online can see traffic grow by as much as 12%. By thoughtfully applying these methods and using the right tools – or even professional help – you can create infographics that are not only visually engaging but also effectively communicate your message.

Related Blog Posts

• How to Design Infographics for SMBs
• 6 Key Elements of High-Quality Infographics
• 7 Visual Hierarchy Tips for SMB Branding
• Affordable Infographic Tools For SMBs