Infographics
Infographics are visual representations of data, using images and charts for easy and quick reading and analysis.
Top Tips
✓ Decide what you want to say. What do you want to get across to your reader? Think about the different ways data can be visualized.
✓ Sketch out your design. Always sketch a draft of your design on paper before creating your graphic using the software as your design may change many times.
✓ Choose your software. There are many tools to choose from, all requiring different technology skills, choose the one that you’re most comfortable with, and that does the job.
✓ Find images. Infographics without graphics are just information. To find royalty-free or copyright-free images, try searching sites like Flickr, Pixabay, The Noun Project, Flaticon and Google Images. Be sure to use the filters to search for images that are free to re-use or have a Creative Commons license, otherwise, you may not be allowed to use them.
✓ Take notes of the sources, and remember to cite. Cite all images and information used but try not to impact the design of the infographic.
✓ Put them all together. Once you have your plan, build all your graphics and data together. For animated infographics, you can upload your video to YouTube, OneDrive, Google Drive, or DropBox and then share the link with your audience.
How to Create a Piktochart Infographic Easily
Watch this tutorial video to learn how to create an infographic using Piktochart [from 2022].
Welcome
In this tutorial we will:
What is an infographic?
Simply put, an infographic is data, presented visually, that tells a story. Infographics can be used to convey complex information in a concise and visually appealing manner.
Check out this video by First Tier Studios Ltd. in 2018.
Storytelling With Infographics
This video is by MSL in 2013.
Components of an Infographic
Infographics are often made up of the following:
Visuals Content Knowledge
[colour, typography, graphics] [facts, data, statistics] [insight/perspective]
Examples of the type of information that can be displayed
Quantitative: This data reflects concrete and measurable facts.
Qualitative: This data reflects information, preference, opinion or emotion.
Why Infographics?
There are many reasons why infographics are becoming a common form of communication in many industries.
Visit the Why your Brain Craves Infographics website to read through this infographic that explains why infographics are so effective.
Types of Infographics
Comparison
Chart
Timeline
Process
Article
Designing an Infographic
Step 1: Decide what you want to say
What do you want to get across to your reader? Think about the different ways the data can be visualized.
Each of the infographics on the previous page could probably be displayed in different ways and using different designs. However, each design may subtly change the meaning, or at least change the way the audience interacts or reacts to it
Step 2: Pinpoint patterns
Step 3: Find an appropriate metaphor/mental model
What are the visual elements of your subject? Organizing your information into the appropriate visual metaphor or mental model will make your infographic easier to understand and more enjoyable to read. For example, you can display the ingredients of different drinks in a cup, or guide the eye of the reader with a road for an infographic on travel.
Make sure the visual elements reflect your content accurately. Have large, eye-catching graphics relating to important or common trends. Make sure that when you are comparing size or numbers, the larger amount has a larger graphic even if it is not the point you are trying to emphasize.
Step 4: Sketch out a design
Always sketch a draft of your design on paper before creating your graphic using software. Your design may change many times before you get it right and it's much easier to scrap a piece of paper than it is to start over in the software.
Trust us; we speak from experience!
Step 5: Choose your tool
There are many tools to choose from, all requiring different technology skills. On the next page of this tutorial, we will discuss three different tools - PowerPoint, Piktochart, Canva, and Keynote.
Tools for Creating Infographics
Creating an infographic doesn't have to be an intense technology experience. Here are some tools that should make it easier for you to create your first infographic.
Powerpoint
You can insert Smart Art, charts, images, and shapes to easily create an infographic. Just make sure to start with a blank slide and resize the page if necessary.
Tutorials
Canva
Canva is an easy-to-use tool to create infographics and more. It offers a collection of templates to create your own infographic.
Piktochart
Piktochart is an easy-to-use infographic maker. It offers a collection of templates and images to create your own infographic. You can also import your own images.
Apple Keynote (animated infographics)
If you want your infographic to be livelier, you could try making an animated infographic, which still includes images, charts and graphs but can also include music and narration. You can create infographics that are animated using Apple Keynote.
Finding and Citing Images
Images
For a quick what to use and what NOT to use when searching for free images online, consult this guide. Here are some sites with images that have copyright restrictions either reduced or removed.
Photographs
Flickr (Click Any License Creative Commons)
Google Images (Click Search Tools Usage Rights Labelled for Reuse)
Icons
The Noun Project (images already include citation!)
Sharing/Uploading Infographics
There are many ways to share your infographic with your professor or classmates. Always consult with your professor about their preferred sharing method.
USB and/or EMAIL - Download your infographic to a USB key and submit to your professor. Or download the file and email to your professor.
PowerPoint - save the file as a PDF
Piktochart - Download Download as .PNG
Upload to a Streaming Site - You can upload your video to sites like YouTube or Vimeo and then share your video by emailing the link. When you upload a video to YouTube we highly recommend you set the privacy as UNLISTED for your class projects (unless otherwise assigned by your professor) as this means the video is only viewable with the URL/link for the video, but not through searching on YouTube, Google, etc.
Upload to Cloud Storage - You can upload your video to OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox and then share your video by copying and emailing the link.
Where Can You Find Infographics?
Infographics are everywhere! Whether it's in our social media feeds or plastered on a large billboard by the highway, we are consuming more and more information through infographics every day. Here are some examples of how infographics are used to convey information in everyday life.
Social Media
Practice Good Password Etiquette from @GetCyber Safe
Study Materials
Periodic Table by Cepheus (Public Domain)
Maps
TTC Systems Map by Craftwerker used under CC BY SA 4.0
Attribution
Unless otherwise stated, the material in this guide is from the Learning Portal created by College Libraries Ontario. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in May 2021. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0 International License.
All icons on these pages are from The Noun Project. See individual icons for creator attribution.
