An infographic is a powerful way of communicating ideas in a visual form. By combining visuals with bite‑sized information, infographics make even complex topics easier (and nicer) to understand. As such, they’ve become a go-to tool across design and marketing.
While infographics might seem like a more modern feature in design, they actually have a long and varied history. In fact, infographics have played a key role in communicating ideas since the early 20th century, and even as far back as ancient times! The first graphic depictions of information date all the way back to cave walls and Egyptian Hieroglyphs. So, why not take some inspiration from these early forms of information sharing?
Whether you’re a business owner, social media expert or education worker, you can use infographics to convey key messages, share data in an interesting way, or simply entertain. Read on to discover how to make an infographic that works for your business with Adobe Express.
Key takeaways
- Infographics turn complex information into clear, visual stories that are easy to understand.
- Different types of infographics suit different goals, from education and marketing to entertainment.
- Adobe Express helps you design professional infographics quickly using custom tools and templates.
What are infographics?
An infographic is a clear and visual representation of data and information. Leaning on elements like imagery, symbols, charts and diagrams, an infographic can make complex ideas easy to understand.
Put simply, an infographic tells a story through pictures. It can be a static graphic or a short video, depending on what works best for your message and your audience.
Infographics have become a workplace and classroom staple to communicate information quickly and clearly. They can simplify lots of complicated data into a neatly presented package and can help you to spot patterns in meanings.
Why use infographics?
People often search for infographic examples when they want inspiration or a clearer idea of how information can be presented visually. Examples of infographics might be a comparison chart, a process flow, or a visual summary of key facts. For example:
- Infographics are more eye-catching and attractive than a word-heavy document.
- The combination of pictures and words helps to tell stories.
- According to the Picture Superiority Effect, visual cues like pictures are more memorable than words.
- They can help display or explain a complicated topic in a simplified way.
- Relevant infographics used within an optimised webpage can help boost search engine rankings for websites.
- They can be easily turned into posters or flyers for physical copies.
- They can be shared on social media and help raise your brand awareness.
- They’re an important tool to display relevant, research-led data.
recipe
Types of infographics.
The type of infographic you choose will depend on what you’re trying to communicate and why. Different infographic styles work better for different purposes.
Data visualisation infographics.
Also known as a statistical infographic, it’s useful for displaying survey results or research data. Data visualisation infographics can help you tell the story of your data in a clear and eye-catching way, using design elements to enhance people’s understanding and make the data more memorable.
Charts are a key feature in data visualisation infographics. You can use bar graphs and pie charts to give people a snapshot of the stats, with some colourful annotations to build on your analysis.
Timeline infographics.
A timeline infographic can help when explaining the history of something or showcasing a timeline of events. You can use different fonts and icons to emphasise important dates or moments, which can make them useful displays for project timelines.
Process infographics.
Process infographics are best suited to display a step-by-step sequence. This makes them ideal for things like recipe cards, science posters and “how to” posts on social media.
The visual nature of infographics allows you to simplify each stage of the process and make it memorable and easy to follow.
Comparison infographics.
Just as the name suggests, comparison infographics are useful when comparing two or more options. Having a visual comparison can help with decision-making, as you can see your options side-by-side. This makes it easier for users to compare and contrast.
List infographics.
List infographics are ideal for sharing a list of items, tips, resources, or examples. They’re simple to create and follow – and are much more visually appealing than a basic list consisting of words alone.
Hierarchical infographics.
This type of infographic is ideal when you need to highlight priorities and show relationships between different pieces of information. A well‑known example is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The pyramid details humanity’s five essential needs, with the most important at the bottom (the largest area of the pyramid) and the least important at the top (the smallest part of the pyramid).
recipe
Infographic examples, templates, and how to make fantastic designs.
Whether you’re working on a brand project or something just for fun, infographics are incredibly flexible. Perhaps you’re showcasing a new delivery process for your online store — or creating a light‑hearted infographic full of memorable moments for your friends. Whatever your reasoning for using infographics, these handy infographic examples can help get you started. Here are some of our favourites.
Climate change awareness.
Whether it’s eco-friendly changes your brand has made or key facts about climate change you’re presenting to the board, an infographic can help break down the key facts into clear takeaways. You can then build this into a webpage, presentation deck or post for social media.
Business process explainers.
Got a new internal way of working to share with your colleagues, or a new purchase process to share with customers? Infographics are the perfect way to outline each step of the process.
Just make sure you keep the wording simple so it’s easy to follow, and use icons or imagery for a visual aid along the way. This will help to improve consistency and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Do I want a pizza?
Infographics don’t need to be reserved for the heavy stuff – they can be a fun way to add humour too. A humorous comparison chart or decision tree would stand out on a physical display and attract more attention to a shareable social media post.
Whether it’s pizza, shoes or a puppy, this type of comparison-based infographic could work a treat for most of life’s important decisions.
Medical guidance.
An infographic can help make important medical information easily digestible – like a guide to washing your hands. Breaking things down and making the most of text, imagery and colour can help to make the key information more memorable.
Resume.
You can create a powerful resume with an infographic. Make use of symbols and colour to help your key skills stand out and catch the attention of prospective employers. Consider using charts or fact clouds to emphasise key information.
Not sure where to start? Our infographic templates can be a good starting point for making your own infographics.
recipe
How to make a great infographic with Adobe Express.
1. Pick a shareable topic that suits your brand when making infographics for social.
Firstly, make sure that you pick a topic that suits your brand. It’s a bonus if this topic is easily sharable too, as you can use it to raise brand awareness. With Adobe Express, you can create an eye-catching social media post that can be shared across your consumers’ feeds.
2. Break down complex but important information.
Infographics can break down important, complicated information into easy-to-read chunks. A topic like climate change, for example, can be broken down into more manageable personal actions. Adobe Express can help you create posters and flyers to raise awareness of important information.
3. Choose topics that resonate with your target audience.
A good infographic is carefully thought out and resonates with your target audience. Think about the topics that are relevant to them and what they’re sharing, so that you can create a piece that’s relevant and popular.
4. Use visual aids to present your information.
A picture speaks a thousand words – so prioritise them over text! Pictures help make infographics eye-catching and engaging. The better the infographic looks, the more likely consumers are to notice it. Using symbols to break things down also helps to make the data more digestible.
5. Make it memorable.
It’s key to make your infographic as memorable as possible. Lean on images and short sections of copy to keep your infographic clear and catchy. You can also use brand logos and colour schemes to make your infographic instantly recognisable, so users know it’s from your brand.