Recently, I designed an infographic on an unfamiliar topic.  The specific design forced me to contemplate the design/content relationship that is necessary to provide a successful message.

As you may know, an infographic is a form of visual marketing that promotes a brand or follows a storyline. Infographics are an important part of design and advertising that are very popular in the graphic design industry and used to grab the attention of visual learners like myself. Although designing infographics seems to be an easy self-explanatory task, attempting a strong design can be challenging.

The message can get lost behind large amounts of text and graphics in a design, leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed when in fact the goal is to pull the reader with as little stress as possible. The relationship between the content and the design is what engages the reader and guides them through the material to the message.

Crafting the Information Path

With many design projects I dive in, start creating, and see where it goes, but with infographics I have to take a step back. There is so much content involved that creating an outline and a rough sketch is very helpful. It is very important to study the topic of the infographic to understand how to convey it through design.

When there are several elements included in one design, it is important to organize the arrangement of the text. It is easier to keep the hierarchy organized if you know where to begin and have already chosen a color palette.

Be Bold

One thing I love about infographics is how colorful they are. Although really bright colored text can look like it is screaming at you, this is what you want! This is especially true for the key message of an infographic! Not only do bright colors make one happier and boost one’s mood, but there is only one chance at making a positive impression on the reader of your infographic.

Don’t Forget the Goal

Finally, it is very important to initiate a call of action when concluding your infographic. Once again ask yourself, what can the reader do with this message? Where can the reader go from here? Is the text communicating successful branding for our client?  Have I shaped the conclusion of my design and story to convey the key message?

Once you have created a successful storyline, the last step is promoting it.  Infographics are a fantastic form of visual advertising and used to build relationships. Not only have they been proven to be successful, they are extremely interesting to create from a designer’s perspective.

By: Blueprint