How to Create a Best-in-Class Infographic Series in 6 Steps. With visual content booming, one word too often still strikes fear into the heart of content marketers – infographic. Creating an infographic series can be much less painful than it sounds – and even, sometimes, quite good fun. Step 4: Wireframe your infographics You’ve got a theme, data, and your creative approach! For example, you can use the snippet on social channels and link the user to the main infographic on a website. The wireframe ensures that the concept fits in a responsively designed consistent structure that allows all components to flow and proportion it for the size of the output. Again, consistency is key to make sure the creative direction of each infographic works as part of the series, and still always ladders up to the core brand identity. Example: We develop the wireframe into a high fidelity infographic that has the creative concept of the ideation sketch, presented within the wireframe it is intended for, and aligned with the story in the data map. Finally, wherever possible include a call to action to share the infographics to boost that all-important organic distribution. Is the brand’s visual identity clear and consistent?
With visual content booming, one word too often still strikes fear into the heart of content marketers – infographic.
Add “series” after “infographic” and it can sound like madness to the uninitiated. How can you gather the stats and communicate a clear message while making them look good in a set?
Don’t panic! Creating an infographic series can be much less painful than it sounds – and even, sometimes, quite good fun.
The secret is in following a clear framework, enabling you to tell a clear and consistent visual story in one of the most powerful ways possible.
Step 1: Choose your theme
Do plenty of desk research, report reading, and even some original data gathering, such as a survey. All of this activity gives you the insight to decide on the theme of your infographic series with confidence.
When whittling down your theme shortlist, constantly ask yourself two questions: (1) Why would anyone care about this and (2) Does this work with our overall content marketing strategy? Once you can answer yes to both, you’re onto a winner.
It might take a while, but being diligent during this phase will make the next steps much easier.
Example: We were tasked with producing a series of 10 infographics for the Greater London Authority, an administrative body for the city. The series covers themes such as green infrastructure, housing, digital connectivity, and the circular economy. Information comes from research reports, briefings, and surveys. We think about how this data could be used in an overall package.
Step 2: Crunch the data
Now it’s time to get your hands dirty with the data.
Review everything you gathered, analyze, and digest the data to make sure you understand what it means. Then you’re ready to create a data map (or a story map if you’re using facts and messages rather than data) – a visual representation of the key facts, stats, and messages you want to include.
Chop up the data map in a logical way, with each section representing one infographic in your series. Then define the exact pieces of information you want each infographic to include.
A series with three to eight infographics is usually a good rule of thumb.
Example: This is one of the data maps for the Greater London Authority series – always the starting point for one of our infographics. It outlines the story we will tell, incorporating all of the key stats. It’s essentially a one-pager that makes it clear to anyone what the story being told is.
Step 3: Think about the creative
With the heavy data lifting complete, the creative juices should start to flow.
Think about how you can blend your brand’s creative identity with a fresh visual approach to make the infographic series original and eye-catching. This could mean anything from emphasizing a different part of your color palette to creating a character…
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