When creating an infographic, there are certain rules and guidelines that you should adhere to. These include: dividing your infographic into two columns and a large title card at the top. Each section of the infographic should have one main design element, such as lines, icons, or visuals. The sections should be separated from each other by borders or alternating colors. For each section, create a subtitle, and accompanying icon, which you can use to identify each section of the infographic.
Visual elements
To make an infographic more effective, there are a few key visual elements you should use. Maps are an obvious choice, but you can also use other visual elements to emphasize lists. Just make sure that all your shapes are consistent in size and alignment. Symbols also work well in infographics, as they can quickly convey ideas. You can download free graphical elements from sites like The Noun Project. And you can even create your own symbols!
The next step in making an infographic effective is to make sure that the graphics are easy to read. A good infographic template contains templates that make the process easier to follow. Those templates include text, icons, and imagery. They are also easy to use, so they’re a good choice for those new to infographic design. Besides, they come with an extensive library of icons that you can use to make your own design.
Six components of visual encoding
An infographic design should be based on the six components of visual encoding. These are: spatial position, marks, connection, enclosure, retinal properties, and temporal encoding. These components can be used to represent various types of data. Spatial position is the most effective representation for numerical data and leads to the fastest comprehension for viewers. Infographic designers usually spatially represent the most significant relationship.
The explanatory text of most infographics must be causally connected. People are sensitive to recent effects and past experiences. Hence, people tend to make inferences from the data in their explanatory text. For example, a sports chart shows the performance of a team. The sports chart is a classic example of visual encoding in an infographic. But how do we use visual encoding in an infographic?
Images
You can include local images in an infographic if you have them already. Simply open the infographic template or a previously created one and click “Add Images.” Select a picture and press “Open.” Once your images are inserted, the float button will appear to show more options. It is easy to add more images if you have the right software. Here are some tips to make this process as simple as possible:
Make sure that your text doesn’t overwhelm the images. It’s tempting to write lengthy sentences with little to no visuals. However, these types of infographics rarely have the impact to stand alone. Generally, the text should be as brief and succinct as possible. Avoid redundant phrases and expressions. These words may repeat or have some meaning but have no impact. For example, “plan ahead” is redundant because planning always involves looking ahead. You also need to avoid using superfluous words like “really” and “very.”
Formats
There are several different formats of infographics available today. The most common are timelines, which plot important dates or facts over a period of time. Timelines are a great way to share history or evolution, as they are easy to understand and interpret. Another type of infographic is the process, which outlines the steps to accomplish a particular task or procedure. These types of infographics often involve side-by-side rows or multiple columns of information, and are especially useful for explaining equipment operations or the assembly line of a manufacturing facility.
While you may feel tempted to use any font you can get your hands on, try to stick with a few basic principles when creating infographics. For example, if the infographic is meant to present a hierarchy, you may want to use a sans-serif font. This type of font is easy to read and has a modern look. Another important tip is to use at most three fonts in your infographics.
Citations
Citations in an infographic should include the source information for the copy and images, and cite the information for any data charts and other infographics. Citations should appear in brackets around the content of the infographic. Citations should be made within the infographic, but sometimes it’s best to include an abstract or a short description. Here are some examples. APA style requires brackets to surround the content.
When citing a web posting, include the author’s name and site name in italics, as well as the posting date. Sometimes, screen names are acceptable. Infographics typically take up two pages, so using a tool like Canva can make it easy to create one. The free program offers a large database of free images and templates that you can use to create a professional-looking infographic.
