10 Infographic Design Hacks To Boost Virality

When information is presented properly, it can be quite useful and even beautiful. In today’s world, we tend to have so much information thrown at us at any given time that it can be difficult to cut through the clutter. That is why infographics have become such a popular addition to the modern world.

An infographic is able to take a complicated task and explain it in a simplified way. It does so by using a visual design that breaks things down on an easy level. This leads many people to ask, how are infographics made? What is able to be ascertained from the design process? What kind of information does an infographic designer hold in his brain?

Hyperakt has specialized in infographic design and there is a process that works well for doing it. The following 10 steps can be used to create an infographic that produces awesome results:

1. Put Your Data Together

The first step in the process is to sort through mountains of data. We may receive it in many different forms, including PDFs, spreadsheets or links to various online resources. There may be some guidance as to the size or other aspects of the finished product but those guiding principles are not often forthcoming. At this point, additional research is gathered from a variety of sources. You don’t typically find all that you need to know in a single location but rather, it is located on a variety of sources.

2. Review Everything

It is important that you don’t simply skim the highlights when putting together an infographic; everything needs to be read. When you are only looking at small chunks of information, it can blur the bigger picture. This is either going to be discerned by the client or by the audience after the work is completed. It is frustrating when you pour your heart and soul into a project and then see it picked apart piece by piece. You need to be proficient at plugging any holes in the available data and ensuring that the facts tell the entire story.

3. Be a Narrator

It is one thing to put together a humdrum infographic a quite another to make it a great story. The infographic typically begins with a unique focus, regardless of whether it is explaining how the thing is done, identifying the trend or clarifying data. It may even support one side of an argument, and this can be an excellent way to put an infographic together. The first difficulty that many people run into is finding the narrative. The data that you find from other sources will likely tell the story but you need to tell it in an interesting way. This may require that you show a personal interest in the information being discussed or make it compelling for others who are reading it.

4. You Need to Identify the Problems

It is a good idea to step back and take a look at what you do from time to time. You might find that the available data is not supporting the direction that the client wanted it to go. You then need to talk to the client, and this isn’t always the easiest thing to do. The client may understand that the data doesn’t support his side but he wants you to twist things so that you can get around it without lying. The unfortunate thing is, you are going down a difficult path when you take this direction. Good data doesn’t lie and most clients will not want to mislead others intentionally.

When this is a problem, you need to take things to the next level. It may require reworking the data or the narrative. When you push back on the idea given by the client, the situation is not typically a comfortable one. Some of the details of the infographic, such as the typeface or the color are easier battles to win but when it comes to details and fact or fiction, things can get sticky.

Uncovering the truth is always the best idea and when you have strict facts and data supporting your side, it is difficult to have an argument against you. For example, the facts may show that someone who drives a red car is much more likely to get in an accident than someone who drives a blue car. On the surface, this looks as if color is associated with the accident. In reality, it has to do with the type of personality that typically favors the color red. When you have all of the data in front of you, you can clearly see that color does not really affect accident rates.

5. A Hierarchy Must Be Created

When doing your research, you will likely find a single piece of data that stands out above all others. When you find this piece of data, the entire project will be organized around it and this is when the hierarchal structure of the project begins to take place. Any other data is used to support the main piece and in essence, the overall picture begins to unfold, thanks to the appearance of the most important pixel.

6. A Wireframe Is Built

A visual representation must be created in order to make it easier for the client to review. This occurs after all of the information is reviewed, studied and proven. The wireframe is just a rough estimate of the infographic. It is also something that can be changed, depending upon the needs and opinions of the client.

7. The Format Must Be Selected

Information can be represented in a multitude of ways. Some people may like more of a traditional approach, such as a pie chart or line graph. Depending on the story being told, a map might also be the best choice. For straight data, showcasing the numbers tells the whole story and in some cases, you may even want to add some interactive content. Choosing the format has a lot to do with the data that is available and as you study the subject, you will find that the format begins to take place naturally.

8. Look for a Visual Approach

The infographic really needs to take on a visual approach in order to be compelling. Some people like to take the raw data and create something beautiful directly from it. These are the ones that often make visually appealing graphs, charts and they put it together in a way that appeals to the eye.

Even if you are using what many people would consider to be boring content, you can still jazz things up by adding color, typography, like this selection from Font Bundles and also using the space efficiently. You might even compare it to an abstract work of art. On the other hand, metaphor and illustrations are sometimes used to get the point across and to define the overall data used to discover it. This type of infographic is especially beneficial for those who are looking for more entertainment than raw data.

Hyperakt tends to use a variety of options as there is never one specific strategy that is always right. It may even be a combination of both charts and graphs along with beauty and proper use of the available space. We have even overlaid pure visual with data and raw information and this is worthwhile to allow people to draw the proper conclusion.

9. The Testing Process

By this point, the infographic will have taken on its basic shape but refinements are still necessary. The designer will typically work hand-in-hand with the client to make sure that the product is visually appealing and that it tells the story it is designed to tell. The testing phase may even involve an entire studio, relying heavily on those who have not yet seen the finished product. This allows us to make any necessary changes and continue to evaluate the design until it is perfect. The feedback offered by clients and our own team helps to deliver the best, most appealing infographic possible.

10. Time to Release It

The vast majority of infographics are found online and some may be printed, although they appear online as well. When the infographic goes live, it helps you to see the interaction of different audiences and how it is working. It doesn’t matter how much fact-checking you do, you’re never going to cover every side so you may find that a discussion ensues that either builds up the piece or perhaps tears it down. The information that comes from those who view the infographic helps you to make any changes so that it can be appealing to a wider audience. It may be difficult to set something loose and allow the general public to tear it apart, but the end result is quite rewarding.

It takes an unusual person to be an infographic designer. The process, labor, and heart that the designers put into a project is rarely ever rewarded in a financial way. When you know such an infographic designer in person, you are going to learn some interesting factoids. Perhaps they may talk about how driving a car makes you fat or they may discuss the 7 different exercises that can help eliminate sciatic pain. Not only can they discuss these things in detail, they can provide you with the data to prove it.

Sometimes, the data may even improve things that are rather unusual, such as why the sky changes different colors at night or the fact that there are more babies in areas where there are more storks. This information becomes interesting and they can use it in their infographics and in their personal lives to amaze people of all types.