Marketing & Media News South Africa

Five tips for designing a great infographic

An infographic is a visual representation of information or data. An infographic displays information visually in an appealing, tactful manner by use of iconography, pops of colour, engaging illustrations and more. The use of visual information has increased dramatically over the past decade as people move away from text-heavy resources to easier to consume snapshots of information.

Below is a list of my top five tips for designing a compelling and informative infographic:

1. Design with your target market in mind

When designing an infographic, you need to know who your target audience is and then create content that is relevant to them.

2. Balance is key

It is important to have a good balance between your text/copy and visual elements used in your infographic. You should keep your copy short and sweet. No one likes reading mounds and mounds of text. An effective infographic uses a balanced combination of text (in bite sized chunks) with visual elements which keeps the viewer intrigued and ensures they keep reading until the end.

3. Less is more (simplicity all the way)

The term, ‘less is more’ is often used by designers. This means that the less clutter you have on your infographic the easier it will be for viewers to understand. This principle works hand in hand with balance to create a successful infographic.

4. Credible sources

Referencing your work is of utmost importance when designing an infographic. When sourcing your information, double check that your information comes from a reliable source. Very often, infographics are designed with data, numbers and statistics. It is crucial that you double check that all the information is correct and when visual representations are used that they make sense in conjunction with the data.

5. Double check and triple check work.

Once your infographic is complete, double check everything before posting it onto social media. Make sure that you spellcheck your work and when in doubt get a friend or a colleague to double check your copy. Your credibility is at stake here because once your infographic is out in the open it’s open to criticism, so to avoid embarrassment… make sure everything is perfect.


Infographics are the easiest way to display heavy information in a manner that is easily consumed by your specific audience. With this list, you can design a striking infographic that will appeal to your intended target audience.

About Shakira Mohammed

Shakira Mohamed is a designer at Mark1 Labs, a user-centric, technology driven, design and media business. A graduate of AAA, Shakira specializes in illustration, infographics and social media creative.
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