In a world with a lot of competing content, clear communication could be your most powerful tool. A lack of it can lead to misunderstanding, disinterest, or even active dislike.

If you want to share information in a way that’s both easy to understand and visually appealing, you should consider creating an infographic. We're going to give you the rundown of what makes a good infographic.

What Is an Infographic?

Infographics are an attractive and affordable way to make sense of otherwise hard-to-understand data, stats, and figures.

It's the visual representation of information and data intended to give an easy-to-understand overview, often of a complicated topic. They consist of graphic elements like illustrations, diagrams, and graphs.

You can use infographics in just about every industry. For example, they're a powerful communication tool for businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits, and governments.

Related: The Best Free Tools to Make Infographics Online

What makes an effective infographic can be subjective, but there are some attributes that are present in most good infographics. They tell a story, are easy to understand, and are well designed.

Let's discuss the common elements of a good infographic.

1. Find Your Target Audience

A group of people and a target group.

The most successful infographics are those directed at a specific audience. If you're uncertain who your target audience is, check out our guide for creating a buyer persona; it will help you mold your target audience. You should also consider the level of expertise and cultural background of your target audience.

A common mistake that people make when creating infographics is designing them around a viral topic. This comes at the cost of neglecting their target audience. Part of designing an infographic is knowing who it’s for and who it’s not for, and not everyone will respond to trends.

Deciding who your target audience is will influence the tone and graphics you use to communicate your message.

2. Focus on One Central Message

A woman's right hand.

Many infographics try to compress several different topics into one representation. However, this just makes it confusing, and it'll be difficult for viewers to digest.

Keep it simple and stick to one topic while still making it appealing to your audience. Ideally, your infographic should have one main message with just a few additional points that branch from it.

3. Provide Practical Benefits

An infographic should be helpful to your audience. Think of it this way, your viewers have a problem, and your job is to offer a solution. Before you start creating an infographic, ask yourself "how will my audience benefit from this?"

Any shared content, especially infographics, should provide tangible benefits to the reader. Whether you’re displaying important new research or simplifying a difficult concept, the reader should be able to take something away from it.

4. Make It Visually Appealing

A simple, colorful pie chart

Graphic selection and design are some of the most important parts of an infographic. For starters, viewers should be able to read an infographic without getting distracted by unnecessary text. And the more visually appealing an infographic is, the more effective it will be.

An aesthetically pleasing infographic will make the reader excited and it will make the content more memorable.

Some of the best techniques for appealing infographics include using non-standard flowcharts and graphs. Venn diagrams, maps, and even pictures of human faces are also a great way to attract your audience and drive your point.

While the information you intend to pass along might work with multiple types of graphics, always try to use the most effective and simple style. For example, you may want to use image-based flowcharts or line graphs to display changes over a certain period of time.

Related: The Best Free Online Flowchart Makers

The goal is to use design elements that will take the reader all the way to the bottom of the infographic.

Try creating a font hierarchy. One font could be used for the main heading, another for section headers, and the last for body text. Don’t forget to make sure the fonts are easy to read!

Also, leave some white (negative) space. White space refers to areas that are void of any text and images; this will help avoid clutter.

While you can convey information without any color, it's an effective tool for communicating essential concepts. Color will help group related elements and highlight important data. Check out our list of apps that will help you find the best color schemes and palettes.

5. Tell a Story

A design of minimalistic business infographic

Good infographics tell meaningful, memorable stories, taking your reader by the hand and guiding them through.

It’s always a good idea to split the information into sections, this will create an easy flow. Like a good story, the best infographics convey a message by taking you from one phase to another.

To control the flow of your infographic, use headers, numbers, pictures, color, white space, and charts. Also include elements like text and symbols placed strategically throughout the infographic to help the viewer’s eyes travel naturally.

These graphic elements will guide the reader from start to end. For example, adding icons to signal headers can help move your reader from one section to another with ease. Illustrations, on the other hand, can help make your story both fun and easy to remember.

6. Utilize Short Copy

Infographic design with placeholder text

Short copy, or short-form content, makes it easier for readers to digest the information. While your infographic should contain text, keep it to a minimum.

The most effective infographics have a balance of visuals and text. That’s why facts and statistics are great elements to include in your infographic. They are usually one or two sentences long and quickly grab the reader's attention.

Use short, descriptive titles and subheadings, and make them catchy. This will make the viewer curious to find out more.

7. Do Your Research

One of the most crucial elements of an infographic is accurate information. Infographics often include statistics, studies, and surveys. Therefore, finding credible sources to back up your claims is essential.

Like academic work, your sources need to be accurate and properly cited. Inaccurate and incomplete information will harm your credibility.

You can cite your sources by listing the relevant URLs at the end or within the body of the infographic provided they don’t distract from the flow.

Get Ahead of the Game With a Good Infographic

There you have it! Including the above-mentioned elements in your infographic will increase your shot at snatching an audience and keeping them with you for the long haul.

There's a learning curve to making a good infographic, and you might find yourself changing a lot of things at first, but sticking to these tips will help you solidify your idea and goal over time.