We may not be cavemen and cavewomen anymore, but pictures still rule. People like to see a visualization of information be it in their newspapers, on their mobiles, e-readers, on the web, and especially in their business presentations.
In this brief guide, we will discuss different ways to create infographics so you can learn how to help people understand your point and also encourage them to take action.
1. How to make infographics in MS Word
Unless you got a ton of experience in graphic designing, you need not use expensive software tools to create Infographics. This is because; anyone can create simple yet attractive infographics using the ‘SmartArt’ tool available in MS Word and Powerpoint. Anyone can easily use Microsoft Word to create colorful and attractive infographics. Here are the steps.
- Open up MS-Word. We are assuming you have the latest MS Office version.
- Click Insert.
- On the left side of the screen, open up the picture tab.
- You will get various ‘shapes’ of Infographics.
- Experiment with these shapes; select the basic one that is an appropriate one for your project. All these allow you to add text and images. You can also change colors.
- Select OK and the infographic will be available on your word page.
- Now add some images from your file explorer. You can add the text in the given space. The font will adjust according to the amount of text you add.
- When you are ready for the next one, simply click on that, upload images, add text, and so on.
- Continue for all boxes. You can add some more boxes if your infographic is longer.
- You can add shape, bullet points, and other features to the infographic.
- Add a heading to your infographic. Some older versions of MS Office may not allow you to group the title and the SmartArt graphic. In such a case, you can print-screen the MS-word document, paste in MS PowerPoint and crop out the stuff you don’t want.
- Now, right-click and ‘save’ your work as a ‘picture’. Give it an appropriate name.
- You can now insert the Infographic in a website or any place you want.
For a simple video tutorial on how to make an infographic in Word, click here.
2. How to make an infographic in PowerPoint
PowerPoint is a great tool for beginners to make Infographics with. It has a collection of clipart and most people know the basics of using it, just like when you create Infographics with MS Word. However, it is a good idea to create your images elsewhere before bringing them on PowerPoint. PowerPoint has easy-to-make charts from Excel. It also has editable shapes and you can save your images in PNG format. On the downside, you cannot embed videos in it.
You can also use HubSpot to find great, free Infographic templates for PowerPoint. To make an infographic in PowerPoint, use the same steps in point No.1 above as PowerPoint also has SmartArt. For a detailed step-by-step explanation of how to use PowerPoint to make infographic, click here.
3. Use Canva
Canva offers a free trial to help you create collages, infographics, slides, and flyers. It is a very simple drag-and-drop process aided be templates, free images, clip art, icons, text, photos, and more. You can also add your own images. The downloaded Canva Infographic can be saved as PNG or PDF files. You can also collaborate with anyone to share images and edit designs. Here is a video tutorial to help you create infographics in Canva.
4. Use Infogr.am
Infogr.am is one of the most popular ways to create Infographics. It offers interactive visuals, has a small yet attractive collection of ready-to-use infographic templates, can connect to data sources from XLS, CSV files, etc to add charts, visuals, and so on. You can also add bar, line, and map graphs to the infographic, publish the final art online or download the work as a PNG file. The best part of this tool is that the creator of Infogr.am wants to create global data literacy, so they also conduct webinars, workshops, and other events. This next image illustrates some quick steps you need to follow when you want to create an infographic.
5. Use Easel.ly
Easel.ly is another great tool like Canva which has pre-defined themes for colorful Infographics. Add easy-to-drag-drop elements/objects like shapes and text, graphs, and other details. Easel.ly also has cool features like allowing you to upload your own images, downloading the Infographic into JPEG and PDF formats, and it comes highly recommended by the American Association of School Librarians for being intuitive and user-friendly. On the downside, there is no autosave while working on the Infographic and it does not have a How-to section for beginners. Check out the tutorial here.
6. Other great tools to create Infographics
Here is a handy list of tools for you to easily create Infographics with:
- Creately
- Vengage – Free Infographic maker
- PiktoChart – Here is how to create an infographic using Piktochart
7. Some more useful resources
If you really want to create amazing infographics, learn all you can by reading tutorials and watching videos on youtube.
- Gallery of Infographic samples
- Resources about Infographics teaching and learning by Larry Ferlazzo. He also has a collection of lists on infographics.
- Free images – Creative Commons and Wylio
- How to make infographics animated video
- How to create infographic using Photoshop
- How to create infographic using Illustrator
8. Understand the elements of a good infographic
People usually view infographics on their computers or mobile devices. So, many infographics are really long since people do not print them; they usually scroll down to view them. Study several infographics before making your own. Understand the best color themes. Note that color is the most important part of the infographic. The visual data needs to be readable. If the data isn’t readable because of the color contrasting used or because of poor images or bad text fonts; then the infographic won’t have any value. That is why simple is beautiful when it comes to infographics.
We will leave you with some gorgeous infographics for some inspiration!
