Make Your Data Beautiful With Powerful Infographics
Data can be complex and overwhelming to look at, but don’t worry if your eyes start to cross looking at that spreadsheet or word document – All is not lost! The job of an infographic is to make this data compelling and easy to read. They’re great visual learning tools that help condense information while adding the fun factor to a valuable resource.
Let’s go through the process on how to create a beautiful, compelling infographic.
1. Have all your data and content, or start researching
If you’re starting from step one, your collected data probably looks like it came out of the cheese grater – Messy and scattered all over the place! The first thing you should do is to sort and sift through your findings. Even if you’re starting at a place where somebody’s given the data to you, make sure your content is up to date and relevant and that you are only looking at the data you want to present.
2. Take the time to learn your collected data.
Your data needs you as much as you need it for your infographic to work. Without really delving into the data, you may miss some important connections or findings that would be essential to the story. After all, you want to tell the best and compelling story you have with your data, without leaving room for holes. When you learn and analyze your findings you’ll have a much better idea at how to construct and utilize what you have.
3. Visualize your data
It’s time to start putting the puzzle pieces together, but first we have to think about how we’re going to present all of the data we’ve collected. Now is the perfect time to consider how you want to display your data. The best visual representation could be good ol’ charts or graphs, or maybe you might think to draw out illustrations instead. You could even end up with a combination of both, or neither at all!
4. You want your data to shine
Think of how your infographic will tell its story. You want your data to do the talking for you in your infographic, and that’s the most important part of your presentation. Even the most boring information can be compelling, if you can find the story behind the data, or that one thread that really puts it all together.
5. Start designing, but don’t forget about your design principles.
Data is beautiful, and it doesn’t have to be stuck in word documents or boring spreadsheets. As you create your story, you want it to be visually great as well. Start by creating a sketch or outline on where your elements will be placed. Your visual elements will be key to your design and a good use of typography can make your numbers or data really shine.
Lastly, make sure to share your infographic and knowledge to the world!
Post them online on your blog, pinterest, etc, or even print them out into posters. Keep your eye out for interesting and cool infographics that pique your knowledge or even just fancy the design, because you’ll never know where the data will lead you!