Pro Tips on Infographic Design


What’s the Goal?

With endless amounts of things on the internet, fighting for attention, it's important to understand who you are designing for. Who is your audience? How do you want them to react? Is this information intended to inform, persuade, or sell a product? Whatever the goal, having a solid plan before designing is the difference between memorable/useful and just another pretty picture on the web.

Messaging & Design

Compiling all supporting data for your graphic is essential to the credibility of the piece and can make or break its success. The message should be focused and to the point, while playing off the visual identity.

Starting the design process with a wireframe or sketch will help confirm whether the information flows properly, it also helps with placement of elements. Content should always be the main driver in the formatting of any design. This is especially true with infographics. Once a good layout is established, it’s time to dive in.

The title should be enticing and concise, explaining exactly what the user is going to get from the experience.

Emphasize the title of the graphic through size and color.

A piece of hero content should be established early on; this will be the focal point of the graphic, so make sure it’s the most engaging piece of information.

Carefully choose fonts so that all typographic elements are legible.

Using a limited color palette can help avoid confusion and unify the entire graphic.

Maintain manageable sizes and dimensions, taking into account text size and legibility for different devices and screen sizes.

Avoid using lists; users should be able to scan the graphic and understand its context.

Clear distinction between content areas can be achieved by using color or rules to divide sections. This can help make the graphic easier to comprehend.

Try to visualize data as imagery rather than typographical numbers whenever possible.


"I did it! Now what?" Hold the phone, you're almost there.

Take some time to double-check your sources for accuracy. Remember to zoom out and check legibility on smaller screens. If you have the means, try testing the flow and execution of the graphic with friends or coworkers. Does everyone easily comprehend its purpose? What was their takeaway? If you are satisfied with the responses, it’s time to post.

So, your little infographic is all grown up and ready to leave the nest *tear. Now's the time to choose the right platform – one that coincides with your audience and their viewing habits. Sites like Pinterest offer a good place to view, pin, and share your graphic, while sites like Facebook have visual limitations to size and shape.

Interested in learning more about our design services? Take a look at our work!