What is an infographic? It’s a powerful tool that can present complex information in a way that’s visually engaging and easy to understand. Infographics can make sharing data, explaining a process or telling a story simpler and more compelling.
In this article, we’ll define infographics, discuss the benefits for businesses, and explore the different types and samples of infographics. We’ll also show you how to use them to elevate your content and keep your audience engaged.
- An infographic is a visual representation of data or information designed to make complex ideas easy to understand.
- Business infographics are useful because they improve engagement, boost retention, increase shareability and help communicate complex ideas quickly.
- The 7 main types of infographics are statistical, timeline, process, comparison, geographic, informational and instructional.
- Great infographic design elements include strong headlines, clear layout, consistent icons and imagery, color harmony and effective data visualization.
- To create effective infographics, structure your data clearly, design with a purpose and ensure they’re visually appealing and easy to digest.
What is an infographic?
An infographic is a visual way to present information or data, combining images, charts and text to explain complex ideas quickly and clearly. Instead of reading through a long report or article, an infographic presents the key points at a glance.
In marketing, infographics are used to make important data more engaging and easier to understand. They help businesses share information in a way that’s both visually appealing and easy to digest, perfect for grabbing attention and encouraging sharing.
Infographics can be used across both print and digital marketing materials. You’ll find them in product inserts, flyers, brochures and on posters, helping simplify complex details. Online, they’re often used for social media posts, blog illustrations, email newsletters and even website graphics.
How infographics benefit businesses
Infographics have a wide range of applications across different areas of business, and the benefits they bring are just as varied. Infographics are valuable because they…
- Communicate complex ideas: Infographics break down complex data or concepts, making them easy to digest and helping audiences grasp the key takeaways.
- Improve engagement: Infographics grab attention far more effectively than text alone, increasing interaction with your content. They are especially effective social media content ideas, where visual elements capture interest and boost clicks.
- Make information easier to retain: Visuals help people process and remember information better than words or audio. Infographics increase retention rates, with viewers remembering up to 65% of the information when presented visually.
- Are shareable: One of the benefits of infographics is their shareability. They’re ideal for boosting brand visibility across social media, email and websites, helping to expand your reach and drive more traffic.
- Boost SEO performance: By driving traffic to your website and encouraging shares, infographics help improve search engine rankings. The more your infographic is shared, the more backlinks you generate, increasing your page authority over time.
- Increase brand awareness: Branded infographics reinforce your business identity, especially when they feature your logo and brand colors, helping build your brand and foster a stronger connection with your audience.
Source: Design by GemmyVN via 99designs by Vista
Outside of marketing, infographics can support data-driven decisions, helping business owners and decision-makers analyze complex data in a more actionable way, leading to more informed strategic choices.
7 types of infographics
Now that you know what an infographic is and how it can benefit your business, it’s time to dive into the different types. From showcasing data trends to explaining processes, different infographics examples and use cases each serve a specific purpose.
1. Statistical infographics
Statistical infographics are designed to present data and numbers—facts, figures and percentages—in an easily digestible format, using charts, graphs, colors, icons and vibrant visuals. They help transform statistics into engaging, easy-to-understand visuals that capture attention and make complex data more accessible.
The most common use cases for this type of infographics are:
- Market research reports
- Product performance metrics
- Demographic insights
- Survey results
2. Timeline infographics
Timeline infographics guide your audience through a journey, transforming chronological data into clear stages. Whether you’re showcasing your business’s history, outlining a project schedule or illustrating a product’s evolution, timeline infographics help visualize the progression over time.
Source: Design by foggyboxes via 99designs by Vista
Typically, timeline infographics feature horizontal or vertical layouts, with key milestones and dates clearly marked for easy navigation. Arrows and time bars showing the sequence of events make it even easier to follow the timeline.
Common use cases for timeline infographics include:
- A company’s response to a crisis or emergency, with key actions and recovery steps over time
- Event or campaign stages
- Product development stages
- Historical company milestones
3. Process infographics
Process infographics break down complicated workflows into a step-by-step guide. They provide a clear, visual representation of how something works or how to complete a task. When designing a process infographic, use a clear sense of progression so the viewer understands which step of the process comes when.
Include numbered steps, arrows or symbols to guide the viewer through each stage, making the process easy to follow and understand.
Common use cases for process infographics:
- Order fulfillment stages
- Customer journey maps
- Product manufacturing process
- Sales funnel
- Product tutorials
4. Comparison infographics
Comparison infographics are ideal when you need to compare two or more things, highlighting the similarities and differences and making it easy for viewers to understand the distinctions at a glance. Typically, comparison infographics feature side-by-side visual elements, like charts, tables or grids, that allow viewers to compare features, benefits or pricing of different products or services.
Source: Design by tomcept via 99designs by Vista
The most popular use cases for comparison infographics are:
- Product comparisons
- Feature breakdowns
- Pricing tables
- Technological advancements
5. Geographic information
Geographic information infographics focus on location-based data, making it easier to visualize key insights tied to specific regions, whether regional demographics, sales by location or tracking international expansion.
Using maps, heat charts or location pins, geographic infographics highlight important regional trends and opportunities. What makes these infographics especially valuable is their ability to link data to exact locations, giving businesses a clearer picture of where to focus efforts or seize growth opportunities.
Use cases for geographic infographics:
- Regional sales performance
- Regional marketing performance
- Business locations
- Customer distribution
- Market research by location
Source: Design by velvetmade via 99designs by Vista
6. Informational infographics
Informational infographics are designed to educate and inform, simplifying complex subjects for quick comprehension. They are often used to break down broad themes or summarize key points.
Source: Design by LittleFox via 99designs by Vista
These infographics use a mix of icons, diagrams, charts and minimal text to provide a concise overview of a topic. An effective informational infographic can offer a snapshot of an idea or concept quickly and efficiently.
Use informational infographics to explain products, services, trends or general concepts in a clear, easy-to-digest format.
The most popular use cases for informational infographics include:
- Industry trends
- Product overviews
- Quick tips and facts
7. Instructional infographics
Instructional infographics provide detailed guidance for complex procedures using clear directions in a visual format, breaking down tasks or instructions into manageable, easy-to-follow steps.
Use instructional infographics to explain how to use or assemble a product or follow a process.
Unlike process infographics, which focus on workflows, instructional infographics are more detailed and geared toward action, often featuring numbered steps, arrows and supporting visuals to guide the viewer.
Specific use cases for instructional infographics:
- User manuals
- Training materials
- How-to guides
- Product assembly instructions
Source: Design by Luz Viera Studio via 99designs by Vista
Key design elements of an infographic
Different types of infographics have their signature design elements, but there are key principles that every successful infographic shares. These are the most important design elements that make infographics eye-catching and easy to understand.
Strong headlines and copy
A compelling headline is the first step to grabbing your target audience’s attention. Headlines should be clear, concise and intriguing enough to make them want to keep reading.
The text should support the headline without overwhelming the viewer with dense paragraphs. Keep it short and to the point—remember, the best infographics simplify information, and use easy-to-read fonts that are visually appealing and accessible. Prioritize legibility by using no more than two or three font styles.
Clear and organized layout
An infographic’s layout guides the viewer through the content in a logical, digestible way. A cluttered design can confuse the audience, so keep the layout organized and clear. Whitespace is just as important as visuals, helping to separate sections and giving the design room to breathe.
Consider visual hierarchy too. Adjust the size, color and placement of text and graphics to guide eyes in the right direction. Group related information together and ensure that the flow makes sense.
Consistent icons and imagery
Icons and imagery are another important element of infographic design that increase engagement and strengthen your message.
Common examples of icons used in infographics design include:
- Shopping cart icon: Used for e-commerce, product-related content or online shopping processes.
- Magnifying glass icon: Used for search functions, highlighting key features or zooming in on details.
- Heart icon: Express likes, favorites or love and care, like customer reviews or product ratings.
- Location pin icon: Represent locations, places or maps, perfect for geographic data or store locations.
- Clock icon: Represents time, schedules, deadlines or durations, like event timelines or working hours.
- Dollar sign icon: Used to signify money, pricing, sales or financial data.
- Checkmark icon: Indicates approval or tasks that have been completed.
- Graph/chart icon: Represents data visualization, such as trends, statistics or performance analysis.
- Email icon: Represents communication via email, newsletters or contact forms.
- Phone icon: Used for representing calls, customer service or contact information.
Use consistent icons throughout. Stick to clear, simple visuals that support the information and make it easier to understand.
Color harmony
Color is one of the most powerful design tools in an infographic. When used well, color can draw attention to key points, highlight important data, code information and make an infographic more visually engaging.
Use brand colors throughout to ensure consistency and strengthen brand recognition.
Stick to a limited color palette that complements your brand or the message you’re trying to convey. Too many contrasting colors can overwhelm the viewer, so use color sparingly to emphasize what’s most important.
Effective data visualization
How you visualize your data will affect how informative and engaging it is. Different types of data require different types of charts or graphs. For example, bar charts help compare values across categories, while pie charts work well to show proportions. Maps are great for geographic data, and line graphs are excellent for demonstrating trends over time.
Learn about the different ways to use interactive content for conversions.
However, effective data visualization goes beyond charts—consider creative ways to represent data in more engaging formats, like pictograms, flow charts or radial charts. By thinking outside the box and presenting your information in a visually interesting way, you’ll make the data even more engaging for your audience.
Tips for designing effective infographics
Designing a good infographic that grabs attention and communicates your message effectively doesn’t have to be complicated. Use these quick, actionable tips to design infographics that work:
- Use templates: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Ready-made, customizable infographic templates, like those from VistaCreate, can save you time and give you a solid starting point for your infographic design.
- Stay on-brand: Ensure your infographic aligns with your brand’s colors, fonts and style. Consistency builds trust and reinforces your brand identity.
- Organize information: Break your content into clear sections and use visual hierarchy—larger text, bold colors and spacing—to guide the viewer through the most important points.
- Keep it simple: Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much detail or clutter. Focus on the key message and keep the design clean and straightforward.
- Ensure mobile compatibility: People view infographics on different devices, so make sure yours looks great on small screens. Optimize your design for mobile to ensure accessibility.
- Mix-and-match different types of infographics: Depending on the data you need to visualize and the goals you want to achieve. For example, this infographic combines a comparison and process infographic to promote the benefits of cold-pressed juices.
Source: Design by Luz Viera Studio via 99designs by Vista
Ready to create effective samples of infographics?
Infographics are an effective way to simplify complex ideas by presenting them visually. Focus on key design elements such as strong headlines, clear layouts and consistent icons to craft infographics that captivate audiences and communicate your message clearly. With the right approach, including using templates, staying on-brand and ensuring mobile compatibility, you can create infographics that are visually appealing and impactful.
Infographics FAQs
How do infographics benefit marketing strategies?
Infographics boost engagement, improve retention and make complex ideas easier to understand. They’re also highly shareable, helping expand your reach and drive traffic while reinforcing your brand identity.
What tools can I use to create an infographic?
Use design tools like VistaCreate to create infographics. This platform offers templates and customization tools that make it simple to make professional infographics without needing advanced design skills.
What are common mistakes to avoid when creating an infographic?
Avoid cluttering your design with too much text or too many colors. Don’t forget to cite your data sources. Use simple visuals that support your message, not distract from it, and check for mobile compatibility, as many users will view your infographic on smaller screens.
