I am aware that you want to discover how to create infographics. We must start at the beginning to get there. Humans have been communicating with one another visually since the beginning of time. There are 40,000-year-old cave paintings found in Asia and Europe. Since then, art has played a much more significant role in how we communicate. We are now able to share visuals in an entirely new way by utilizing the power of graphic design and the internet, all thanks to the enormous technological advancements of recent years. The free infographic templates are a perfect example of this new form of visual communication.
What is an Infographic?
A visual representation of data and information that is intended to be quickly and easily absorbed by its audience is called an infographic. This is especially relevant today because readers are busier than ever. Making sure your content is brief and simple to understand could make the difference between your message being read and ignored. Free infographic templates and charts are becoming more and more common as a result of their ability to summarise complex data into a concise and attention-grabbing design.
What Attributes Should an Infographic Design Have?
- Must provide data.
- Have a specific purpose.
- Explain complex data sets clearly.
What Makes Infographics So Successful?
Although visual storytelling has advanced significantly since the time of cave paintings, the basic idea of condensing information remains the same. Because humans are built to comprehend visual information more quickly than written information, free infographic templates generate strong responses from us. According to surveys, processing a visual image only takes one-tenth of a second compared to reading 200–250 words, which takes 50 seconds. When trying to curate data, infographics allow you to convey the most knowledge possible to your audience in the shortest amount of time.
Infographics Help Audiences Understand
When information is shared in a paragraph, its meaning can be lost. Sharing data visually is a great way to deepen your audience’s understanding. Because of our hectic schedules, we are more likely than ever to “scan” content. Because we process visual information faster than text, free infographic templates allow us to remember information more profoundly than written content.
Shareable Content
When done correctly, infographics can be an excellent marketing tool. They are extremely shareable, and with each share, your brand gains exposure. According to Hubspot, infographics are liked and shared three times more than any other type of content on social media.
The Basics of Infographic Design
To create great infographics, you must develop a specific mindset. There are guidelines to follow, and you must understand how data visualization works. Even a seasoned web designer won’t be able to complete it in half an hour. Here are a few rules to follow when creating an infographic:
Show, Don’t Tell
The first thing to remember is that good infographic designs show data rather than telling people about it. You must create a visually appealing infographic rather than a wall of text. It should lead users to the conclusion they desire. You must ensure that the design tells a story. Avoid overcomplicating things. Make a simple infographic with a clear point instead. Users would read a wall of text if they wanted to. Users want an infographic that displays the information they want to see.
Choose the Right Kind of Chart Types
There is no single type of chart that is appropriate for all types of data. The type of chart you use for your infographic layout will be determined by the data you use. The first step in deciding on a chart type is to determine what kind of data you are looking at and what you want it to mean. Are you attempting to highlight a significant number? Are you comparing two different data points?
Are you attempting to demonstrate a particular trend over time? Do you want to draw attention to a deviation in the data set? Pie charts, column graphs, line graphs, and bar graphs are the most common types of charts used in infographic designs. Each type excels at displaying different things.
Make Sure You Have the Data You Need
Once you’ve decided where you want to go with your infographic design, make sure you have all of the necessary data. Specify how the pieces fit together to make your point. There could be some gaps in what you have. You may need to conduct additional research to help tell the story you want to tell on the infographic. One of the most difficult aspects of learning how to make free infographic templates useful is learning how to recolonize the data.
How to Make an Infographic?
Once you’ve gathered your data and decided on the type of chart you want to use for your infographic design, it’s time to get to work. The best infographics are well-thought-out and employ fundamental graphic design principles. Here are some ideas to help you figure out how to make a modern and clear infographic using illustAC’s templates.
Use Contrast
Contrast is an excellent design tool. Put elements that are noticeably different next to each other to make the free infographic templates stand out. A light infographic background with bold foreground elements, for example, will automatically draw the eye to that bold foreground. A useful visual hierarchy is created when one color or set of colors is more prominent than the others. For maximum impact, combine complementary colors.
To make your text stand out, combine a dark blue infographic with brighter colors like orange or yellow. Colors that are bright and distinct are easier for viewers to see quickly. After all, you only have a few seconds to catch their attention, and contrasting colors is an excellent way to do so. You can also contrast text sizes. Make the header the largest typography, the sub-header the second largest, and the body text the smallest. The large header will let viewers know right away what the subject of the infographic is.
Color
Contrasting colors are a good thing to think about when deciding how to make an infographic, but they aren’t the only thing to consider when choosing colors for your infographic. The right color palette can make or break the effectiveness of an infographic. Consider using the brand’s colors when creating an infographic for a brand to help integrate the free infographic templates into their branding campaign.
If you can’t use the exact colors of the brand, see if you can use shades of them. Try to stick to three colors, regardless of the color scheme you choose. Three-color palettes are visually appealing and easy to read. Use shades of those three colors if you still feel you need to add other colors for the best look. This will keep the infographic’s colors consistent and prevent them from becoming distracting.
Using Photos
The best photos are those that were taken specifically for your free infographic templates. This, however, is not always an option. At photoAC, you can find royalty-free images. Using stock images is a good workaround, but it is not without risk. Using them can make you appear cheesy and lack creativity. Use caution when selecting stock photos for your infographic layout.
All of the photos you use for this infographic design, whether they were taken by a photographer or stock images from the internet, should have consistent lighting and styling. They should all have the same lighting and backdrop. You don’t want the photos to divert attention from the message you’re attempting to convey with the free infographic templates. Using photos with flat color backgrounds gives your free infographic templates a modern look, whereas black and white photos are more traditional.
Balance
The visual balance will improve the appearance of your free infographic templates. It will be easier to read and more appealing to the eye. Balance ensures that all elements of the infographic layout remain consistent, which is especially important for longer infographics. For your free infographic templates, you can use both symmetrical and asymmetrical balance.
Symmetrical balance means that the composition’s two sides have equal visual weight. This is an excellent composition style for an infographic comparing various data sets. However, it can be boring at times. Asymmetrical balance appears more natural and lacks the dull uniformity of symmetrical infographic designs. It results in a more complex relationship between the various elements.
Consistency
All free infographic templates combine a variety of data elements to tell a single story with a clear point. To achieve that effect, the layout and design elements should be consistent. The same bullet points should be used for the same types of information. Throughout the free infographic templates, you should use either filled-in or line art icons, not both. The same logic should apply to the infographic’s images, font, and color palette. This will greatly improve the professionalism of the free infographic templates.
Simplicity
One of the central concepts of free infographic templates is that they simplify complex ideas into simple visual guides. Remember this as you design the infographic layout. It’s all too easy for an infographic to become lengthy and cluttered with text and charts. Make an effort to keep your infographic design as simple as possible while conveying all of the necessary information.
Focus
Don’t get too caught up in including every fact and figure you can think of in the infographic. Streamline the information so that it remains focused on the story and concepts you’re attempting to communicate. Keep in mind that infographics are a calculated collection of information, not a random collection of facts.
Keep it Easy to View
Resizing can hurt an infographic’s readability. You may design it to be a massive, screen-dominating image, but the website designer may end up downsizing it to fit on the website, resulting in an infographic that is now impossible to read. If your infographic design is shared on social media, you want people to be able to tell what it’s about on phone screens and preview windows. Make sure that even the smallest element of your infographic can be read at smaller sizes without too much squinting.
Remember Your Target Audience
Remember to personalize your infographic for your intended audience. Conduct some research on the best ways to communicate with the people for whom you are creating the infographic. Choose fonts, colors, and images that will appeal to them. If your infographic is intended for a specific profession, such as military, law enforcement, or medical professionals, use graphic elements that match their actual profession.
Create a Visual Hierarchy
Every infographic layout follows a well-defined visual hierarchy. This hierarchy employs a combination of information and graphic design elements to guide viewers through the infographic’s story to the ultimate call to action. It unifies all of the information and data on display. Create this visual hierarchy with font size, color, and data arrangement in your free infographic templates.
Where to Find the Best Free Infographics
illustAC is the best place with a huge collection of free infographic templates up for grabs. You’ll find a great variety of free infographic templates, ranging from business infographic templates to educational infographic templates.
Conclusion
Free infographic templates are an excellent way to communicate information online. Users want information in an interesting and efficient format. It is difficult to create an effective infographic, but the effort will be worthwhile.