Infographics are all over the web. They’re those graphic representations of data that look like this:
Infographics can be a great way to absorb information if done right. But too often, they’re not.
Too often, the time you spend trying to decipher an infographic leaves you scratching your head and feeling like you just wasted five minutes of your life that you’ll never get back.
What Makes a Bad Infographic?
Bad infographics share a few traits:
- Hard to follow: bad infographics make information harder to understand instead of easier
- Badly designed: ugly infographics use too many colors and fonts, and awkward layouts
- Confusing: poor planning leads to infographics that make people give up before they’ve understood the information being communicated
Ask Yourself, Is an Infographic the Best Solution?
Sometimes people create infographics when words would do. Ask yourself these two simple questions when trying to determine whether you should use an infographic or stick with words to express your message.
- Do you want to express nuggets of information that have a clear relationship between them?
- Can you find visuals that will represent that relationship?
If you can answer “yes” to the two questions above, an infographic might work to represent your message.
The best infographics are carefully planned. Read on to find out what you need to map out before a single pixel gets moved around on your screen.
First, Know Your Goals
Before you get started, it’s important to define your goal for your infographic. When you know what you’re trying to accomplish, it’s easier to pick the right style of infographic to communicate your information.
With a well-designed infographic you can:
- Show a trend over time using numerical data
- Support an idea with a group of facts
- Compare and contrast two different items or ideas
- Show similarities between two different items or ideas
- Create an at-a-glance reference piece people will save and refer back to
- Show a process, tutorial or how-to guide
Great Infographics are Within Your Grasp
Infographics don’t have to be complex to be great. In tonight’s Visual Buzz 101 module, Infographics: Simple Strategies for Creating Your Own, Kelly Kingman and I will share examples of simple hand-drawn infographics that are just as compelling as those fancy graphic solutions.
We’ll also show you where you’ll find websites that will allow you to create beautiful, polished infographics — even if you’re not an artist or designer.
And we’ve got a live demo planned so you’ll see step-by-step exactly how to use our two favorite online infographic creators.
It’s our fifth Visual Buzz 101 module, and it’s available now.
Instead of just buying a single module, get the All-Access Pass. You get instant access to all four of the previous modules, which are:
- Visual Buzz #1: Secret Places to Source Fantastic Images for Your Marketing (and how to choose ones that work)
- Visual Buzz #2: Pinterest, Facebook & Beyond: Inspire, Engage and Attract with Images
- Visual Buzz #3: Books, Boxes, and More: Bringing Your Product Image to Life
- Visual Buzz #4: Presentation Magic: Capturing and Holding Attention with Powerful Slides
Plus you get instant access to eight iPiccy training videos, which show you how to use this powerful online image editor to create beautiful images for your marketing.
And you’ll be invited to the seven Visual Buzz 101 modules that are coming up:
- Visual Buzz #6: The Six Images Every Sales Page Must Have, and How to Put Them to Work
- Visual Buzz #7: Images in Motion: Creating Amazing Videos Without a Camera
- Visual Buzz #8: A Step-by-Step Technique to Create Your Own Web Headers and Sidebar Graphics
- Visual Buzz #9: Build Your Visual Buzz Toolkit: Get Professional Results with Free Tools
- Visual Buzz #10: Logos Unlimited: Create Great-Looking Logos in 5 Easy Steps
- Visual Buzz #11: Stock Up: Building a Library of Your Own Images
- Visual Buzz #12: Visual Buzz By Request: Topic Chosen by All-Access Pass Holders
All the live classes are recorded, and you can watch them anytime you want.
Ready to add some Visual Buzz to your marketing? Get the Visual Buzz 101 All-Access Pass.
Let’s Talk About Infographics
What do you think about infographics? Do you love them? Or do you find them annoying? I want to hear about it in the comments, so leave me a few words and we’ll compare notes. 
Choose your colors, pick your fonts, create perfect pages and grow your business!
Your business might be small, but your brand can be BIG. Targeted, well-designed marketing materials help your business look professional, communicate effectively, and sell more. 
I love the idea of Infographics, however too many that I see are just too ‘busy’. This makes me hot-foot it away from them. I definitely think that ‘Less is More’ and perhaps the more hand-made they are (as long as they are clear), the more appealing they are. Just my penny’s worth.
I agree, Caroline. Simpler is always better. Especially when people are so busy! People need to be able to scan and understand your graphic in an instant.
The concept of using something visual to attract attention is always good, but the example of the infographic you used at the top of this piece was awful – busy, headspinning, distractingly cluttered. I certainly wouldn’t have read further if it had been somone elses’s blog, but I knew the two of you would offer insight and straight talk.
Thank you for what you do!
Hi Marge,
That’s the effect I was going for, actually. It’s a composite of several different styles infographics, so it’s bound to be a bit confusing! Taken individually they’re actually quite nice.
I’m really looking forward to this module, Of the entire 101 its THE one I need to learn to nail.
Having clean clear visual elements is going to be a great tool in my marketing kit.
Learning how to create them is something I can’t wait to do!
thanks Pamela.
Hi Pamela,
When I look at the info it feels like “brain abuse.” I don’t know where to focus, start, stop, or … ?” And then I say to myself, your to old to understand all this stuff, and you’ll never catch up. I also have a similar experience when this method is used for manifestos. But… to each his own. We all know what makes the world go round.
On another topic, I have been out of loop recently because of changing hosts. The news… it was a nightmare. The good news… I have only transitioned on php site (I’m planning to upgrade everything to WordPress).
Also not a change in my website address (see above). If you have a minute, check it out and please have a look at “Sticky Blogs: Keep Em Comin’ Back For More.” I hope it finds your approval. If not, please let me know. Yes… I really mean it so I’ll say it again, “Please let me know.”
Hi James,
I’m glad to hear you got your hosting straightened out. That’s no fun.
Infographics are hard to pull off. In the class Kelly and I offered, we kept coming back to the idea that simpler is almost always better. The very complex infographics are best left to the professionals. But simple image-based graphics can be done by non-artists quite successfully.
It’s an honor to be on your Sticky Blogs page with such illustrious company. Thank you!
Thank you for the thank you.
I am really starting to enjoy this ride.
I have a long way to go, but at least I’m out of the bleachers and on the playing field.
Thank you for your help. You were my first inspiration and service provider contact after meeting you through Corbett Barr. I know “I’ll be back for more.”
Thanks again.
PS: I hope you got a “tip in the jar” for Scribe, which is an awesome program.
PSS: Please excuse the typos in the first comment. I’m really embarrassed. My battery loses it’s charge in the afternoon and I mindlessly hit “Post Comment.” Excuses, excuses. Oh well (shrug)…