When to use infographics

If you've look at any magazine, brochure or websites over the past few years, you'll know that infographics are all the rage. But what exactly is an infographic?

An infographic (in short) is a graphic way to display information. It's like a cross between a map and a chart: it takes lots of data, compresses it into an easy-to-understand graphic, and unloads it unto the viewer.

Beautiful, isn't it? An infographic can be just about anything: a flow chart, bar graph, or even something as simple as an illustration of how to do something. 

And if it looks good, chances are that people will like it.

Infographics are all over the place these days: newspapers, graphic design websites (does this one count? heh), infographic blogs, and then of course there's social media. How many times have you seen one on your Facebook wall or Twitter feed or on Instagram? They're even on Pinterest! (If you're interested in graphic design, you should definitely check out Ego Graphic Design - they've got a really nice collection of infographics.)

So why do we like them so much? It's the same reason we like to look at pretty pictures: because we can't bear to see something and not understand it immediately. We like to feel smart - especially when it's taking no effort.

Sometimes, graphic designers make bad infographics. This is because they try to use them in the wrong places or for the wrong things, wasting valuable screen space which could be used for something else.

So how do you know if you need an infographic?

You don't. You really, really don't. Every graphic designer has their own opinion on this matter, but the simple answer is that you can use them wherever you want to. Not everything needs to be an infographic - they're not always the best way of displaying information (a map is usually better than a graphic detailing where a location is).  

If you want to use an infographic, go ahead and use one. There's nothing stopping you. We graphic designers may disagree on the definition, but we all think infographics are nice to look at - so if it looks good and gets your point across, there shouldn't be a problem.

If you need an infographic for your company or business, then get in touch and we will do our best to help and advise you.

As always, thanks for reading!