Infographics, an effective form of content marketing, are everywhere on the Web, but it isn't always easy to come up with good designs when you want to create one yourself, especially if you're not skilled in design and visual content.

Fortunately, you have plenty of options. Many blogs and other publications offer tips and tricks to help improve your visual content, and sites like online infographic maker Visme (which I founded) and applications such as PowerPoint offer templates to help you get started.

Templates help you get a general feel about what works for an infographic and what doesn't, which can then allow you to branch out with your own designs. Often, though, in the business world, a lot of templates are simply tweaked to create an infographic; the basic template remains intact. After all, if it isn't broke, why fix it?

So here are five of the most popular templates, the reasons they work so well, and a few tips and tricks to help you make them your own.

1. Charts


Source: WordStream

Probably most people don't think of a simple chart as an infographic, though technically it could be. Instead, a grouping of charts is used to represent and highlight information in the form of an infographic. When charts are used, they're often combined with additional images and information.

The use of charts in an infographic makes perfect sense; they were some of the first ways to visually present statistical data, and they are still used for that purpose. Displaying charts together in a visually appealing way and adding a little flare goes a long way toward really capitalizing on the infographic format.

Dan Shewan lists several examples in his WordStream post, but one of the more interesting is Skype's "International Technology Upgrade Week." The infographic combines several bar charts on one side (showing reasons to upgrade verses not upgrading), and several pie charts along the other with some additional information. The charts are organized neatly and combined with Skype's appealing color combination.

Creating an infographic with charts is relatively simple: Focus on the statistics relevant to you, then create and organize those charts in a neat, appealing way.

Tips:

  • When using only one chart, add extra details and effects, such as images alongside the chart, or make the visual look three dimensional.
  • Find an appealing color scheme, and color-code elements.
  • Include a few snippets of additional information and visuals alongside the charts.
  • Add a decorative border.

2. The Map


Source: Webdesigner Depot

Maps are an effective way to showcase visual information, and they are frequently used as the basis of infographics. Those maps may be of a single country or continent or region, or the entire world, and they often showcase statistics for specific areas on the map. For example, a map may show which areas of the United States have the highest concentration of homeless people.

Maps do exactly what infographics are meant to do: They show the information rather then tell it, helping to drive the point home. Some might have different areas highlighted according to the different statistics, further aiding the transmission of a message. Moreover, they tend to be more interesting to look at than the average chart.

Some good examples of infographic maps can be found in this post at Webdesigner Depot. Take the "Healthcare Costs by State" infographic, for example; the map includes bubbles pointing to each state with the individual cost of healthcare. The map adds information about healthcare services at the top, as well as a legend for who in the US Congress supports healthcare and who doesn't.

Effectiveness aside, maps, much like charts, are also relatively easy to create. The basic template is to find or create a map based on the area you're focusing on, then add a legend, and, much like the map above, some basic information at the side or top to give background or additional information.

Tips:

  • Don't use just a map; combine it with statistics and other images. (Several infographic templates found here, at Creative Beacon do just that.) Using more images helps give the map flair and allows you to display more information more easily.
  • Make the map interactive. Being able to click on different areas and learn more can both make the infographic more engaging and help keep the map from being too cluttered.
  • Tailor the map's style and color scheme to something emblematic of your content, rather than something more generic. (For example, using a pixel-based design if the infographic is about videogaming.)

3. Flowcharts


Source: Murera

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Payman Taei

Payman Taei is the founder of Visme, provider of interactive online presentations and infographic software.

LinkedIn: Payman Taei

Twitter: @PaymanTaei