Say it With an Infographic

Some people are visual learners and easily recall pictures. Other think in numbers and need to see something quantified in order to believe it. There is also the “left brain/right brain” debate, where some people gravitate towards logical arguments over creative ones. It is always important to know your audience when presenting information. But with so many different learning styles, what if you can’t settle on just one approach? What if you are pitching an idea to a panel of senior leaders in a company that includes a design professional and the head of the accounting department?

Selecting one presentation style can be limiting if you have diversity in your audience. An innovative and effective way to present important information while appealing to different styles is to use an infographic.

What is an Infographic?

Infographic are visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. They combine the best of all worlds, and the result is a visually appealing way to convey your thoughts.

Here is an infographic on an infographic! I pulled this from the source, Kathy Shrock’s Guide to Everything. This is an example of what an infographic looks like as well as cool information about the tool itself.

What Does An Infographic Look Like?

If you are wondering if this visual presentation style could work for you, here is an example of an infographic on the topic of coffee.

As you can see, there is value to using different types of visual representations. Combining text, numbers, and images in a visually appealing way will make readers want to pay attention to the data you’re presenting. You don’t have to settle for one style of boring chart, or even create a lengthy slide show presentation. Infographics make it possible to make many assertions about a topic all in one place.

How Can I Make an Infographic?

Here is a cheat sheet from Piktochart that shows how to arrange data if you want to create your own infographic. Different layouts visually make more sense depending on the information that you present.

Is an Infographic Right for My Presentation?

According to the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, an info graphic is 30 times more likely to be read than a purely textual article. People remember 80% of what they see and do, compared with just 20% of what they read. While research looks promising on infographics, it is important to keep a few potential limitations in mind. Some settings and topics would not be appropriate for infographics, so it is important to be clear on your assignment and audience expectations. Also, sometimes infographics can appear cluttered if they have too much information in too little of a space, or if they go on for too long on a website and force users to keep scrolling to get to the end. If your presentation style allows a visual element and you keep your facts concise enough, infographics can be a creative way to combine graphics and text to reach your audience.

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