An infographic (information graphic) is a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data. A well-designed infographic like the one below can help you simplify a complicated subject or turn an otherwise boring subject into a captivating experience. Visual representations of information aim to make the data easily understandable at a first glance. They help convey data in a compact and shareable form. Since visual messages are interpreted 60,000 times faster than textual ones, infographics have quickly become a popular method for presenting detailed data. While infographics are beautiful and efficient, they hold a strong responsibility of providing accurate data.
Gather your data. Identify VERY reputable sources, like Data.gov, the EPA, the National Center for Education Statistics, World Health Organization, National Center for Education Statistics, Weather Underground, or Google Public Data. If your research is going to share out on a topic instead of statistics, still ensure your resources are very reputable.
Analyze your data to discover the story that your data will tell. A great infographic has great data, but we first must uncover the story the data tells. There is a good chance you may already know the data you want to use to tell your infographic story, but this list will help you get started. Here are some things to consider:
Adobe Spark (Spark Post) is the newest and most exciting tool available across most devices. There are many templates available to create infographics on different websites like Canva and Piktochart that allow you to create an account with your school Google account, and both are free for students. Student feedback says that Canva has more template options and you can easily download your infographic as a pdf, jpg, or png, while Piktochart only allows png downloads. Additionally, many users find success using G Suite tools like Draw or Slides to create from scratch so they are not limited to a bank of icons AND are still able to collaborate. We also recommend The Noun Project as a database for finding icons.
Pages: Getting Started
Pages: Instant Alpha Tool and Shapes Tool
Pages: Overlay Tricks
Quick Run Through
Step By Step
Tips & Tricks
Identify your process as a learner. Do you work best by drafting on paper ahead of time? Do you create and revise as you go? Understand your process, and get started!
Use the Insert, Chart option in Google Slides, or try out a free online graph maker: