Sales of iPhone vs Samsung vs. Blackberry vs. Nokia
Do your research.This is the single most important step. It doesn’t matter how awesome your infographic looks if
your numbers are incorrect. Additionally, the numbers and data need to tell a story, not just
present facts. It is not enough to just put the data out there and allow the user to draw their
own conclusions. Communication is a two-way street. It requires a speaker and a listener. You
want to draw the listener/user to the conclusion you desire, not their own.
Infographic
With that in mind, the infographic needs to have at least the following elements.
Include at least five different statistical facts that you use to draw the user to your viewpoint.
Don’t overdo it. Remember that the data should not get in the way of the story.
Use well-researched data. This data must be documented and developed professionally. List the
variable used, samples, etc. Give the information in a way that others could follow your
procedure, replicate it, and find the same conclusion you did.
Step 3: Graphics.
Make the graphics tasteful and consistent. Use a theme to achieve this. Let the folks who do
this for a living guide your hand. As an example, if you were doing an infographic about FedEx,
you would use pictures of FedEx planes, Trucks, etc. The colors should be Red, White, and Blue
since the corporate colors are those.
An infographic should be though of as a cognitive tool for understanding, an extension of our
visual system. It is a consequence of this that the form should match the function and task it is
supposed to help complete.
Ask yourself, “What do I want my user to get from this graphic? What do I want them to do
with it?”
Next Step 4: Build the infographic
Again, use one of the tools available to you. Don’t reinvent the wheel here. Instead, use the
time to do your spelling and grammar checking.
Finally Step 5: Present infographic
Be professional, informative, and Be concise above all, have fun.
Remember, an infographic is a visual presentation of evidence, not just a pretty picture.
